Strengthening Vietnam-Brazil friendship

Over the past 30 years, the friendship and solidarity between Vietnam and Brazil have grown stronger, based on a balanced and mutually respectful relationship. The two countries are striving to promote deeper and more effective cooperation in many areas, while consolidating their roles as key partners in Southeast Asia and Latin America.

The 78th anniversary of National Day September 2nd in the capital Brasilia of Brazil.

Vietnam and Brazil officially established diplomatic relations on May 8, 1989. In order to effectively implement cooperation, the two countries upgraded their relationship to Comprehensive Partnership in May 2007. Over the years, Vietnam has always considered Brazil one of the leading important partners in the Latin American region. Bilateral trade has continuously increased, with two-way trade turnover in 2022 reaching a record of 6.78 billion USD, up 6.6% compared to 2021.

Brazil is currently Vietnam's largest trading partner in Latin America and second in the Americas, after the United States. Vietnam's main exports to Brazil include phones, components, computers, electronic products, machinery, spare parts, means of transport, iron and steel, footwear, textiles, seafood, etc. In the opposite direction, Vietnam mainly imports from the South American country items such as ores, minerals, cotton, animal feed, soybeans, corn, wood and wood products, textile, garment and footwear materials, etc.

In recent times, ministries and sectors of the two countries have had many meetings and exchanges, thereby identifying potentials and strengths that complement each other, promoting cooperation in existing fields in a substantive manner, in addition to expanding new areas of cooperation. In the coming time, Vietnam and Brazil will continue to develop the market, focusing on areas such as trade, tourism, agriculture , education, renewable energy, science and technology, climate change response, digital transformation, and cooperation within the South-South framework.

Vietnam hopes that Brazil will pay attention to promoting and soon starting negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) and Vietnam, especially when Brazil is holding the rotating presidency of the bloc in the last six months of 2023. The two sides also aim to increase investment and business connections.

Brazil currently has six investment projects in Vietnam, with a total registered capital of about 3.83 million USD, mainly in the fields of industry, processing and manufacturing (accounting for 68% of registered capital); wholesale and retail (26.6%); and professional scientific and technological activities (2.8%). Vietnam has two investment projects with a total registered capital of about 300 thousand USD in Brazil.

According to the assessment of Brazilian Ambassador to Vietnam Marco Farani, Vietnam's economy has a fast growth rate with a very dynamic market, and it is completely possible to achieve the goal of becoming a middle-income country in the next 10 years. Meanwhile, Brazil also possesses many advantages for economic development such as a large population (nearly 220 million people), rich natural resources and a highly developed agriculture. Therefore, Ambassador Farani believes that Brazil and Vietnam have many potential areas of cooperation, notably the production and use of renewable energy.

In multilateral cooperation, Vietnam and Brazil share views on United Nations reform and many other international issues. The two sides cooperate closely and support each other at international forums and organizations. Based on good political relations, Vietnam supports Brazil's entry into the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) for the 2013-2016 term, the Human Rights Council for the 2017-2019 term; while Brazil supports Vietnam into the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for the 2016-2018 term, the Security Council for the 2020-2021 term, and most recently, the Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 term.

Speaking at the 78th National Day Celebration Ceremony on September 2 in the capital city of Brasilia (Brazil), Vietnamese Ambassador to Brazil Pham Thi Kim Hoa emphasized that for Vietnam, Brazil has always been a major and important partner in South America. Economic and trade cooperation is a bright spot in bilateral relations. Trade exchange between the two countries has continuously maintained exponential growth in recent times and has reached nearly seven billion USD. On the basis of the Comprehensive Partnership, cultural-educational-tourism exchanges between the two countries continue to be strengthened, becoming a bridge bringing the people of Vietnam and Brazil closer together.

Diplomatic relations between Brazil and Vietnam are based on friendship and mutual respect. With great potential and a strong economic development, Vietnam is one of Brazil's long-term and important partners in Southeast Asia in areas such as: food security, energy, tourism, culture, business cooperation, people-to-people exchange, and cooperation in multilateral forums.

Eduardo Paes Saboia, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil

Towards the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations (May 8, 1989 - May 8, 2024), Vietnam and Brazil will have many diverse and meaningful activities, contributing to further strengthening the solidarity between the governments and peoples of the two countries.

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