Tehran, 20 Nov. (AKI) - Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will visit Brazil and its South American neighbours, Venezuela and Bolivia, next week to strengthen his country's political and economic relations in the region. Ahmadinejad is due to arrive in Brazil on Monday where he will meet president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Human rights and feminist organisations are expected to join Brazilian Jewish groups to protest against the visit.

For Ahmadinejad, the official visit is an opportunity to expand Iran's relations in a region where he already has a firm ally in Venezuela's controversial leftist president Hugo Chavez.

Brazil, which has adopted a much more conciliatory line over Iran's nuclear ambitions than its Western allies, has supported dialogue with Iran in a bid for progress on the nuclear issue and Middle East peace.

Lula's decision to open dialogue with Ahmadinejad may be risky if Brazil fails to press Western concerns over its nuclear programme and complaints about recent human rights abuses.

Ahmadinejad's visit comes just two weeks after a visit by Israeli president Shimon Peres, widely perceived as a bid to counter Iranian influence there, while Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas was meeting Lula this week.

It was the first visit to Brazil by an Israeli president since 1966. Peres also visited Argentina in the first such visit in 20 years.

On Tuesday Ahmadinejad will travel to the Bolivian city of La Paz where he will meet the country's president Evo Morales for a short eight hour visit.

Venezuela's Chavez believes Iran, China and Russia, are the key to weakening US influence in Latin America, and has moved to establish ever closer ties with Tehran in recent years.

Iran is helping Venezuela explore for uranium, and Washington considers the relationship between the two countries as a potential security risk.