Thaindian News

Tehran, Feb 1 (IANS) Iran officially launched a Spanish-language international satellite channel Tuesday, IRNA news agency reported.

Hispan TV, which first started to air programmes Dec 21, 2011 for 16 hours a day, was officially launched Tuesday, Xinhua reported citing the report.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony via video link, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that all nations needed peace, security, freedom, progress and welfare. It was necessary to enhance cooperation, communication and collective efforts for such wishes to materialise, Press TV reported.

Close communications, exchange of views, and unity were of significance for protecting the basic rights of people, said the president, adding that the media could play a crucial role in this regard.

According to IRNA, this TV network aims to reinforce the cultural bonds and to bridge the gap with the peoples of Spanish-speaking countries, and to introduce Islamic Iran’s traditions, through airing programmes for Hispanic addresses round the clock.

It will air programmes related to news, films and series, documentaries, reports, exclusive interviews, in addition to different political, social, and economic programmes from Tehran.

Ahmadinejad also said that the new TV channel would deal a blow to “dominance seekers” — remarks that were an apparent dig at the US and the west, the Guardian reported.

The launch is Tehran’s latest effort to reach out to friendly governments in Latin America and follows Ahmadinejad’s tour of the region earlier in January, which included stops in Cuba and visits to Venezuela, Nicaragua and Ecuador, the report added.