Pretoria (VNA) – The official visit to Brazil by PrimeMinister Pham Minh Chinh is expected to contribute to lifting the relationsbetween Vietnam and the Latin American country to a new height, statedVietnamese Ambassador to Brazil Pham Thi Kim Hoa in an interview granted toVietnam News Agency (VNA).

According to the diplomat, Brazil is the number one partner inthe Latin American region of Vietnam. With apopulation of more than 211 million, Brazil is a promising market for Vietnam. Thecountry is also the gateway for Vietnam to enter the Latin American market, shesaid, adding that Vietnam is also a door for Brazil to ASEAN and other Asiancountries.

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 partnershipin the future, she said, holding that it will mark the opening of a new periodof cooperation between Vietnam and Brazil.

Talks and meetings between PM Chinh and Brazilian President Lulada Silva, leaders of the Federal Senate and authorities of a number of states of Brazil aswell as local businesses are hoped to beef up bilateral cooperation and deepenthe comprehensive partnership between the two countries, making it moresubstantial.
   
Ambassador Hoa said that promoting bilateral ties isthe 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 onthe thresholds of the 35th anniversary of bilateral diplomaticrelations in 2024, she said, asserting that the outcomes of the visit will add meaning to this milestone, guiding the elevation of bilateral relations toa new height in the future.

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

These are issues on which the two countries share manysimilar viewpoints and can learn from each other’s experience and support each otherfor 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 cooperationopportunities and possibilities. This will be a good chance for the two sidesto explore each other’s business culture and the demands of consumers in eachcountry to design specific cooperation and investment plans, including incoffee production.

Highlighting economic cooperation potential between the two countries, AmbassadorHoa noted that two-way trade reached 6.78 billion USD in 2022. Vietnam exportsto Brazil seafood, animal fat, rice, iron and steel, ceramics, electroniccomponents, garment and footwear, while importing zinc, plastic, all kinds ofmeat, food processing by-products, rubber and fibre from the Latin Americancountry.

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

Particularly, the two sides are expected to propose effective policiesand measures to expand their export products to balance bilateral trade, thusbenefiting both Vietnam and Brazil, especially in the context that the SouthernCommon Market (MERCOSUR) is considering the signing of a free trade agreementwith Vietnam, she stated./.