PM’s visit hoped to lift Vietnam-Brazil ties to new height: Ambassador

The official visit to Brazil by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is expected to contribute to lifting the relations between Vietnam and the Latin American country to a new height, stated Vietnamese Ambassador to Brazil Pham Thi Kim Hoa in an interview granted to Vietnam News Agency (VNA).

According to the diplomat, Brazil is the number one partner in the Latin American region of Vietnam. With a population of more than 211 million, Brazil is a promising market for Vietnam. The country is also the gateway for Vietnam to enter the Latin American market, she said, adding that Vietnam is also a door for Brazil to ASEAN and other Asian countries.

Ambassador Hoa said that PM Chinh is the first leader of Vietnamese Party and Government to pay an official visit to Brazil since the trip by Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh in 2007. Therefore, it bears great significance to the promotion of bilateral partnership in the future, she said, holding that it will mark the opening of a new period of cooperation between Vietnam and Brazil.

Talks and meetings between PM Chinh and Brazilian President Lula da Silva, leaders of the Federal Senate and authorities of a number of states of Brazil as well as local businesses are hoped to beef up bilateral cooperation and deepen the comprehensive partnership between the two countries, making it more substantial.

Ambassador Hoa said that promoting bilateral ties is the main content on the agenda of PM Chinh's visit. According to the diplomat, Vietnam and Brazil have their own strengths and potential, which when the two countries work together will produce resonant effects benefitting each country's development and international integration.

The Vietnamese Government leader’s visit is taking place on the thresholds of the 35th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations in 2024, she said, asserting that the outcomes of the visit will add meaning to this milestone, guiding the elevation of bilateral relations to a new height in the future.

The ambassador said the visit is hoped to open up new cooperation opportunities for both sides in areas of climate change response, new energy development, digital transformation, energy and food security, regional integration and security, sustainable growth and equality in international relations.

These are issues on which the two countries share many similar viewpoints and can learn from each other’s experience and support each other for common development, she said.

Within the visit’s framework, a Vietnam-Brazil business forum will be held, providing a chance for businesses of the two countries to seek cooperation opportunities and possibilities. This will be a good chance for the two sides to explore each other’s business culture and the demands of consumers in each country to design specific cooperation and investment plans, including in coffee production.

Highlighting economic cooperation potential between the two countries, Ambassador Hoa noted that two-way trade reached 6.78 billion USD in 2022. Vietnam exports to Brazil seafood, animal fat, rice, iron and steel, ceramics, electronic components, garment and footwear, while importing zinc, plastic, all kinds of meat, food processing by-products, rubber and fibre from the Latin American country.

The diplomat said she hopes PM Chinh’s visit will help facilitate the trading of more products between the two countries, especially farm produce towards more balanced trade.

Particularly, the two sides are expected to propose effective policies and measures to expand their export products to balance bilateral trade, thus benefiting both Vietnam and Brazil, especially in the context that the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) is considering the signing of a free trade agreement with Vietnam, she stated.