Hanoi (VNA) – A delegation from the Vietnamese Embassy in Brazil, headed by Ambassador Bui Van Nghi, has conducted a four-day working visit to the state of Maranhão.
The visit, which concluded on February 28, aimed to assess investment and trade opportunities, as well as strengthen the strategic connection between Vietnam and the northeast region of Brazil.
At a working session in Davinópolis city, Mayor Zé Pequeno highlighted Vietnam as a strategic partner in the locality’s new development direction, especially in production technology and the distribution of goods to Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The city plans to build an inland port as an international logistics hub and proposed establishing a sister-city agreement with a Vietnamese locality to foster business exchanges, human resources training, and governance experience sharing, he said.
The Vietnamese diplomat emphasised the region’s agricultural potential and strategic port location, reiterating Vietnam’s commitment to promoting cooperation in high-tech agriculture, deep processing, port logistics, and the green transition.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1989, Vietnam and Brazil have strengthened their ties based on high political trust. In November 2024, the two countries elevated their relationship to a Strategic Partnership.
Brazil has recognised Vietnam as a market economy, and both sides have opened their agricultural markets to each other. Two-way trade reached 7.76 billion USD in 2025. The Southern Common Market (Mercosur) has launched negotiations on a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) with Vietnam.
Amid the restructuring of global supply chains, Nghi affirmed that cooperation potential in high-tech agriculture, deep processing, port logistics, and the green transition remains substantial. He pledged that the Embassy will continue serving as a bridge to facilitate concrete, effective, and sustainable cooperation projects in the coming time.
Authorities of Maranhão committed to guaranteeing infrastructure for the dry port project, including an allocation of 20 million BRL (3.9 million USD) for a connecting road.
The Vietnamese delegation also held meetings with Governor Carlos Brandão and local business representatives to promote cooperation in agricultural trade, transport, tourism, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) projects, as well as the expansion of the Maiti sugar-ethanol plant and the development of gypsum, sisal fibre, and a 250-hectare logistics centre project.
Local businesses expressed their desire to establish direct trading channels with Vietnamese partners, aiming for long-term, sustainable, and mutually beneficial cooperation./.
