Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s attendance at the expanded BRICS summit and his bilateral engagements in Brazil have opened up new directions for cooperation, helping to advance Vietnam’s relations with development partners.
At the invitation of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, PM Chinh and his spouse led a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to Brazil from July 4–8. During the trip, the Prime Minister attended the expanded BRICS summit and engaged in nearly 40 activities over three intensive working days.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang on July 8 briefed the press on the outcomes of the Prime Minister’s recent working trip.
Deputy Minister Hang said at the expanded BRICS summit, PM Chinh delivered a strong message on the importance of multilateralism and underscored the role of developing countries in global governance. He tabled a series of practical proposals on key issues of shared interest, including health care, environmental protection, climate resilience, and equitable access to financial and technological resources.
He also called for reform of international financial institutions, deeper South-South economic integration, and the application of technology and artificial intelligence for sustainable development.
Vietnam's contributions and initiatives received positive feedback from leaders of countries and international organisations, who praised the country's proactive and responsible approach to global challenges.
On the bilateral front, the Prime Minister held an important meeting with President Lula da Silva and engaged in working sessions with Brazilian leaders and leading businesses.
These engagements yielded substantial and practical results aligned with the aspirations of both countries, contributing to peace, stability and development in the region and beyond.
According to the Deputy FM, the PM’s visit helped further strengthen political ties and cooperation in multiple areas, especially as Brazil’s role continues to grow both regionally and globally. The two sides agreed on major orientations, particularly in trade, investment and economic collaboration.
Vietnam-Brazil trade has seen remarkable growth over the past decade, rising from just 1.5 billion USD in 2011 to nearly 8 billion USD today, accounting for about 35% of Vietnam’s total trade with Latin America. Brazil remains Vietnam’s largest trading partner in the region.
Deputy FM Hang noted that the growing relationship reflects strong strategic complementarities and underscores the need for continued cooperation to sustain momentum.
On this occasion, President Lula da Silva reaffirmed Brazil’s support for the early conclusion of negotiations on the Vietnam-MERCOSUR Free Trade Agreement in 2025, as well as a bilateral FTA between Vietnam and Brazil.
One of the most notable highlights of the visit was the strengthening of agricultural cooperation - a priority for both leaders.
With concrete progress in market access for agricultural products, the two sides agreed to further facilitate trade so that high-quality farm produce from both countries can better reach regional consumers.
They also pledged to deepen cooperation in the coffee sector by forming a joint alliance for production and export, working toward building a shared coffee brand that reflects the cultural identities of both nations. The two sides aim to optimise costs and balance interests through localised agricultural processing and production to serve both domestic and export markets.
To mark the visit, Vietnam and Brazil announced their first-ever mutual shipments of agricultural goods, including Vietnamese tra-basa and tilapia fish to Brazil, and Brazilian beef to Vietnam. These initial consignments, jointly developed and committed to by both sides, are seen as the beginning of broader agricultural market access in the near future.
Other sectors such as defence and security, science and technology, high-quality human resource development, mineral exploitation, digital transformation, semiconductors and artificial intelligence are also expected to see further progress in alignment with each country’s development goals.
The visit also saw the signing of numerous cooperation documents, including memoranda of understanding on science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation.
Several major business deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars were signed between leading enterprises of the two countries.
On the multilateral front, PM Chinh joined 35 other national leaders, partners and international organisations at the BRICS Summit. He held extensive meetings with leaders of BRICS member and partner countries, developing nations, and key international institutions.
According to Hang, these meetings opened up new directions for cooperation in politics, economy, technology and investment, reinforcing Vietnam’s substantial and effective partnerships with major global players and contributing to regional and global peace, stability and prosperity.
The Deputy FM underlined that the nearly 40 activities over several days have helped elevate Vietnam’s international profile and deepen ties with key partners, and opened new opportunities in science and technology, market diversification, and exports./.
