At the political consultation (Photo: nhandan.vn) Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc and his Brazilian counterpart Eduardo Paes Saboia co-chaired the eighth deputy ministerial-level political consultation via a videoconference on November 23.
Both sides shared the situation of each country, especially in the context that they are adopting measures to recover the economy and ensure social welfare following the pandemic.
Reviewing bilateral cooperation in the past, they also discussed measures to deepen bilateral comprehensive partnership in the near future.
They spoke highly of the strong development of bilateral economic ties, with Brazil being the biggest trade partner of Vietnam in the Latin America and two-way trade hitting a record 6.36 billion USD.
Vietnam-Brazil economic and trade ties still have ample room to grow further as Vietnam and member states of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), including Brazil, are discussing the possibility of negotiating the Vietnam-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement, they said.
The two sides highlighted the potential of cooperation in agriculture and renewable energy, and pledged to contribute to global food security, energy security and climate change response. They vowed to work closely together to maintain the momentum of bilateral relations by facilitating high-level visits and meetings, upholding the Joint Committee and Political Consultation mechanism, and expanding dialogues and connection between ministries, agencies and businesses, thus gradually completing a legal framework to step up trade and investment collaboration, especially in farm produce.
The two foreign ministries agreed to jointly accelerate negotiations towards signing cooperation agreements in national defence, education, facilitation of investment and technical cooperation.
On regional and global issues of shared concern, they promised to offer mutual support at international organisations and multilateral forums of which Vietnam and Brazil are members, especially the United Nations, as well as enhance ASEAN-Brazil partnership./.
