Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and President Lula da Silva attend the Vietnam - Brazil Economic Forum

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva attend the Vietnam-Brazil Economic Forum. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

Brazil is ready to be a gateway for Vietnamese goods to enter the Mercosur region.

In the context of the global economy facing many challenges and difficulties, Vietnam - Brazil economic and trade relations continue to grow strongly, reaching nearly 8 billion USD in 2024. Brazil has always been Vietnam's largest trading partner in Latin America and Vietnam is Brazil's leading trading partner in ASEAN. The two sides are aiming to achieve the goal of bringing bilateral trade turnover to 15 billion USD by 2030.

The two countries' senior leaders agreed to direct relevant agencies to strengthen measures to facilitate bilateral trade and investment relations, and discussed the possibility of initiating negotiations on a preferential trade agreement between Vietnam and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur).

At the Forum, delegates said that the room for economic cooperation between the two sides is still very large and not commensurate with the potential and political and diplomatic relations, especially after the two countries upgraded their relationship to Strategic Partnership in November 2024.

The business communities of the two countries were introduced to each other's potential, strengths, and investment cooperation desires; at the same time, solutions were proposed to promote cooperation between the two countries, especially in areas where one side has potential and strengths and the other side has needs such as: aviation, mechanics, manufacturing and processing industry, energy (electricity, oil), agriculture, wholesale and retail, science and technology, etc.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva speaks at the Vietnam-Brazil Economic Forum. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

Speaking at the Forum, expressing his admiration and love for President Ho Chi Minh, the national liberation hero, world cultural celebrity, friend of the peoples of the world, Brazilian President Lula da Silva emphasized that he visited Vietnam not only as the President of Brazil but also as a close friend of Vietnam; was delighted to witness the remarkable development of Vietnam between his two visits to Vietnam; and believed that Vietnam is a model for many countries to learn from.

During his visit, the President had meetings with the leaders of the Party, State, Government and National Assembly of Vietnam. The two sides had very open and favorable discussions, achieving practical results, with many important cooperation documents signed.

The Brazilian President said that although Vietnam and Brazil are geographically far apart, they are very close. Vietnam with 100 million people and Brazil with 196 million people are quite large markets for each other. Vietnam and Brazil both have diverse and unique cultures; people love sports, especially football; they are the two largest coffee producing and exporting countries in the world...

However, with nearly 8 billion USD/year as present, the trade turnover between the two countries is still modest, not commensurate with the relationship between the two countries and the desires of each country. Therefore, both sides need to make efforts, exploit to the maximum the trade agreements between the two countries and other non-tariff barriers that the two countries participate in to promote trade, soon reaching the target of 20 billion USD in the coming time.

Thanking Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh for announcing the permission to import Brazilian beef, President Lula da Silva said he would invest in beef processing plants to penetrate the ASEAN market through Vietnam; in return, Brazil is ready to be a gateway for Vietnamese goods to enter the Mercosur bloc.

Introducing the cooperation potentials that Brazil has strengths in such as aviation, biofuel, sports, agriculture, etc., the Brazilian President suggested that businesses of the two countries, especially private enterprises, connect with each other, promote investment cooperation activities, realize and deepen the Vietnam - Brazil Strategic Partnership; suggested that the two sides study the establishment of joint funds to promote investment, develop science and technology, creating favorable conditions and trust for businesses of the two countries to cooperate and invest...

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the Vietnam-Brazil Economic Forum. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

Speaking here, respectfully thanking the President of Brazil for bringing to Vietnam the warm feelings from Brazilian friends and the President himself; especially Brazil and more than 70 other countries have recognized the market economy status with Vietnam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed Vietnam's consistent stance of supporting an independent, strong, powerful Brazil with an increasingly important role in the region and the world; the Brazilian people are increasingly happy and prosperous.

According to the Prime Minister, after more than 35 years of establishing diplomatic relations, the two countries upgraded their relationship to a “Strategic Partnership” in November 2024. During the President’s visit, the two sides signed an Action Plan to implement the new framework of relations; agreed to upgrade the Intergovernmental Committee; and continue to promote high-level visits to further develop political, diplomatic and economic relations.

The two sides also agreed to promote trade in a more balanced direction, in which Brazil opens its doors to Vietnamese tra fish, basa fish and shrimp, while increasing imports of Vietnamese products with strengths such as electronics and agricultural and aquatic products.

Affirming that Vietnam is ready to contribute to ensuring food security for Brazil, and that Vietnam is currently implementing a program of 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that in the current context, facing global, all-people, and comprehensive issues, no country can solve them alone, such as preventing the COVID-19 pandemic, fighting poverty, responding to climate change, etc., so it is necessary to promote multilateralism, solidarity, and international cooperation.

According to the Prime Minister, Vietnam is ready to participate in Brazilian initiatives to contribute to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the world, especially the anti-poverty initiative. As a poor, besieged and embargoed country, Vietnam is very aware of this and in the process of development, Vietnam does not sacrifice progress, fairness and social security to pursue economic growth alone.

Vietnam - Brazil relations converge and spread

The Prime Minister said that the Vietnam-Brazil relationship has so far converged on five main similarities and complementarities. These are similar ideals and trust; close cultural identities, especially patriotism, respect for friends, loyalty, and people-oriented development; complementary and mutually promoting economies, where the strengths of one country are the needs of the other; warm and sincere feelings; a common aspiration to fight poverty, build a strong, prosperous, civilized country, a desire for peace, cooperation, development, and strong growth, bringing happiness and prosperity to the people.

The Prime Minister gave an example of areas where both sides have strengths, so they can cooperate, such as researching the establishment of coffee trading floors. Brazil also has strengths in minerals while Vietnam is in need of developing the metallurgical industry. Notably, during this visit, Vietnam opened its beef market to Brazil and Brazil immediately invested with the spirit of "what is said is done, what is committed must be done".

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the Vietnam-Brazil Economic Forum. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

According to the Prime Minister, there are currently many Brazilian players playing in Vietnam, and some naturalized Brazilian players have made important contributions to Vietnam winning the Southeast Asian championship for the third time. “The sincere and warm feelings we have for each other can be clearly felt. Cooperation between the two sides has no limits, no obstacles, and we can cooperate in all areas,” the Prime Minister emphasized.

The Prime Minister said that Vietnam has gained independence for 80 years, and reunified the country for 50 years, but in reality it has only been more than 30 years of nation building. After 40 years of renovation, from a poor, backward agricultural country, devastated by war, besieged and embargoed, Vietnam has risen to be among the 34 largest economies in the world, among the top 20 economies in terms of trade, and has signed 17 free trade agreements with over 60 economies.

In 2025, Vietnam aims to achieve GDP growth of at least 8% and is determined to achieve double-digit growth in the coming years; Vietnam really wants Brazil to cooperate to achieve this goal. To achieve this goal, Vietnam focuses on promoting 3 strategic breakthroughs in institutions, infrastructure, and human resources in the direction of open institutions, smooth infrastructure, people and smart governance, focusing on removing bottlenecks and bottlenecks in institutions, human resources and infrastructure, creating a favorable environment for production, investment, and business, reducing 30% of procedures, time, and compliance costs in 2025.

Regarding infrastructure, Vietnam is focusing on developing transport infrastructure, nuclear power, wind power, solar power, 5G and 6G infrastructure; exploiting new development spaces such as marine space, outer space, underground space, etc. Along with that, Vietnam is determined to successfully carry out the revolution of streamlining the organizational apparatus, rearranging administrative boundaries, reducing intermediate levels; striving to create breakthroughs in science and technology development, innovation and national digital transformation; developing the private economy is the most important driving force for growth.

Appreciating the ministers of the two countries for working specifically right after the high-level meetings during President Lula da Silva's visit, the Prime Minister hoped that in the coming time, the two sides would continue to promote cooperation, businesses would connect more, and promote the sentiment and cooperation mechanisms between the two countries.

Vietnam is ready to act as a bridge and an important fulcrum for Brazil to enter the ASEAN market with a population of over 600 million, the world's most dynamic economic region and the center of growth. Vietnam also thanks Brazil for being ready to act as a bridge for Vietnam to enter the Mercosur region and Latin America.

Regarding investment, the Prime Minister proposed promoting projects in the fields of green economy, digital economy, circular economy, knowledge economy; science and technology, innovation, digital transformation; energy conversion, renewable energy; minerals; agriculture, high-tech industry, etc.; focusing on "strengthening supply chains, developing supporting industries, and building a highly skilled workforce".

The Prime Minister asked Brazilian investors to continue supporting and creating conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to participate more deeply and substantially in global supply chains.

Vietnam hopes that Brazilian businesses will support Vietnam in accessing shifting investment sources, green and sustainable financial sources such as investment sources for science and technology, innovation, and the development of international and regional financial centers in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang.

Businesses attending the Vietnam-Brazil Economic Forum. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

The Prime Minister asked the Brazilian Government to support and promote the early launch of FTA negotiations between Vietnam and the Mercosur bloc; create a more favorable legal framework for bilateral business and trade activities through the signing of important cooperation documents such as investment protection agreements, agreements on labor, education and training, visa exemption, etc.

The Prime Minister said that Vietnam commits to “3 guarantees” and “3 togethers” with the Brazilian business community and investors: “3 guarantees” include: Ensuring that the foreign-invested economic sector is an important component of the Vietnamese economy; ensuring the legitimate and legal rights and interests of investors; ensuring the maintenance of independence, sovereignty, political stability, security, safety and public safety.

At the same time, there are “3 together” including: Listening and understanding between enterprises, the State and the people; sharing vision and action to cooperate and support each other to develop quickly and sustainably; working together, winning together, enjoying together, developing together; sharing joy, happiness and pride.

In that spirit, the Prime Minister called on businesses of the two countries to strengthen cooperation, investment, and mutual support in the spirit of "what is said must be done, what is committed must be done", valuing time, promoting intelligence and timely decisiveness, bringing benefits and material wealth to the people of the two countries, further enhancing the affection and relationship between the two countries and contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

Pham Tiep (Vietnam News Agency)

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/thu-tuong-pham-minh-chinh-va-tong-thong-lula-da-silva-cung-du-dien-dan-kinh-te-viet-nam-brazil-20250329140124992.htm