Ambassador Marco Farani: Vietnam will make an important contribution to the G20 Summit

Brazilian Ambassador to Vietnam Marco Farani shared with the press about Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's visit to attend the G20 Summit and conduct a number of bilateral activities in Brazil.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. (Photo: Duong Giang/VNA)

At the invitation of the President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, G20 Chair 2024, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his wife, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh and his wife will join the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to attend the G20 Summit and conduct a number of bilateral activities in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

On this occasion, Brazilian Ambassador to Vietnam Marco Farani shared with the press about Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's upcoming working trip.

- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is expected to attend the 2024 G20 Rio de Janeiro Summit in Brazil from November 18-19. Could you please share with us the content and significance of this year's Summit and Vietnam's participation and contribution to the G20?

Ambassador Marco Farani: This year, Brazil and Vietnam celebrate the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations and I believe that Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s second visit to Brazil demonstrates two important points: First, it is a testament to the significant progress in building trust between the two countries over the years, which confirms the positive prospects for deepening bilateral relations in important areas of cooperation; second, the visit also demonstrates Vietnam’s commitment to important international issues such as sustainable development, poverty reduction and a fairer distribution of decision-making power in the world.

The Brazilian government recognizes Vietnam’s steadfastness in addressing these issues. Therefore, in addition to the invitation sent to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Vietnam was also invited to participate in seminars on agriculture, science, technology and innovation, and global governance reform.

This year, Brazil assumes the G20 Presidency with the theme "Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet," reflecting the great concern for sustainable development of economies and especially reducing social inequality in the world.

Delegates attend the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on July 25, 2024. (Photo: Getty Images/VNA)

The reality today is complex and polarized. Rising global tensions have a direct impact on social well-being and are increasing inequality, pushing vulnerable populations into poverty, while climate disasters are further exacerbating this dismal situation.

In its role as G20 Chair, Brazil has proposed three pillars that will guide discussions at the G20, including social inclusion and the fight against poverty, energy transition and sustainable development, and reform of global institutions and governance.

I believe that Vietnam's participation at the G20 Summit will make an important contribution and bring solutions to the economic and social issues that are at the heart of this year's discussions.

First of all, Vietnam is an example of historical resilience and reconstruction. Vietnam's experience over the years can contribute to solutions to the challenges and crises affecting economic and social development, especially in the Southern economies.

Vietnam has become one of the fastest growing economies in Asia, a self-sufficient country in food production, which has raised people's income levels and actively made efforts to transition to energy.

In the international arena, Vietnam has actively participated in many multilateral organizations and consistently supported peaceful solutions to conflicts, based on the principles of the international legal framework.

- Could you please give your assessment of the outstanding achievements in Vietnam-Brazil relations?

Ambassador Marco Farani: I am pleased to assess the current relations between Brazil and Vietnam because they reflect the building of a positive and harmonious dialogue over the years.

Recently, bilateral relations have gained new momentum with the increase in the exchange of high-level visits. In the last two years alone, we had the honor of hosting the Prime Minister of Vietnam, during which the two sides signed agreements in many areas of cooperation such as education, agriculture and defense.

Last year, the Brazilian Minister of Science and Technology, the Vice Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of Foreign Affairs also paid official visits to Vietnam. Multi-sectoral seminars were also held in the fields of trade and investment.

We participated in conferences organized by the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, where the potential for bilateral relations was discussed. We also organized a high-level workshop and the "Ethanol Talks" event, which aimed to develop solutions for the energy transition.

In addition to the remarkable exchanges between the people of the two countries, we also organized cultural activities to celebrate the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations, contributing to bringing the people and cultures of the two countries closer together.

- According to the Ambassador, what are the potential areas of cooperation between the two countries to strengthen bilateral relations in the coming time?

Ambassador Marco Farani: Brazil and Vietnam have the conditions to enrich and diversify bilateral cooperation, with stable economies and policies, growing populations, low inflation rates, high employment rates and a commitment to innovation, sustainable development and social inclusion.

Brazilian Ambassador to Vietnam Marco Farani answers questions from the press. (Photo: Viet Duc/ VNA)

Bilateral trade has reached US$7.1 billion, with prospects of reaching US$10 billion by 2030. The two economies have many similarities but also a high level of complementarity, which helps attract entrepreneurs from many sectors and increases the prospects for new opportunities in this area.

Brazil is one of the world's largest food exporters and plays an important role in global food security. This is one of the main reasons why the Brazilian government places special emphasis on the issue of world hunger, so that people can escape the risk of hunger and malnutrition.

At the G20, the Brazilian Government launched the Global Alliance Against Poverty, one of the key initiatives of its Presidency. This important strategy aims to bring countries and organizations together and mobilize resources to fight hunger and poverty worldwide.

Furthermore, science, technology and innovation are pillars of Brazil's development and the government has dedicated resources to implementing projects in these areas, such as artificial intelligence, semiconductor manufacturing and digital transformation. Brazil has green technology and a vision for how to reconcile productivity with sustainability.

In short, we have three main strategic areas: food production, energy transition and science and technology, not to mention the potential for cooperation in the fields of security and defense.

- Thank you very much Ambassador!

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