S. American, Arab nations condemn attempt to control Venezuela's resources

BUENOS AIRES, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- South American and Arab countries on Thursday condemned the attempt of any superpower or country to control Venezuela or any other South American country's resources.

In a statement issued at the end of a two-day meeting in the Argentine capital which drew foreign ministers from over 30 South American and Arabian countries, the participants said countries, while abiding to the UN charter and the international law principles, have "the sovereign rights to exploit their resources under their own laws and their own development policies."

The statement is regarded as a condemnation to the United States as Venezuela has accused Washington of attempting to overtake Venezuela's oil resources by such oil giants as the ExxonMobil.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro said at the meeting that Exxon Mobile, the largest U.S. oil company, went so far as it even registered Venezuela's oil assets as belongings to Exxon Mobile.

Exxon Mobile recently won court orders in Britain, the Netherlands and the United States on freezing assets worthy of some 12 billion U.S. dollars owned by Venezuelan state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA in a battle for compensation over the loss of a project in Venezuela's drive to nationalize its energy sector.

Maduro thanked these South American and Arab countries for their support and said the Venezuela-Exxon dispute is more political than legal.