35 years and beyond: Brazil-Việt Nam strategic partnership

President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, wrote to Việt Nam News on his visit to Việt Nam.

Between March 27th and 29th, I have the honour to visit Hà Nội for a second time, seventeen years since my first trip and in a very special moment for the Brazilian-Vietnamese relationship.

In 2024, not only did we commemorate the 35th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations, but we also brought them to a higher level: as of November, Brazil and Việt Nam officially became Strategic Partners.

That is not merely diplomatic jargon. It is the culmination of a steady process of rapprochement that has borne fruit for both of our countries. Since my first visit, our trade soared from US$534 million in 2008 to almost $7.7 billion in 2024.

Today, Brazil buys more from Việt Nam than from longstanding partners such as Portugal, France and the United Kingdom. We are also proud to be Việt Nam's largest commercial partner in Latin America and its main supplier of pork, chicken and cotton, contributing to the country's food security and textile industry.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. — Photo Ricardo Stuckert/PR

Brazil has much more to offer. In 2024, our economic growth was significantly higher than the average of developed countries. Our legal and policy frameworks provide a safe business environment for foreign investment and trade.

Incorporating higher added value products to Brazilian exports to Việt Nam will help us reach a bilateral trade turnover of $15 billion by 2030. We are ready to contribute to Việt Nam's commercial and military aviation sector with high-end aircrafts and to its defence capabilities with modern and reliable equipment.

There is also a huge avenue for cooperation in science, technology and innovation and in renewable energy. Brazil is interested in partnering with Việt Nam in the development of semiconductors, Artificial Intelligence and digital technologies.

We also have decades-long experience in the production of biofuels, which are clean alternatives to the automotive, aviation and shipping sectors, and even to power generation.

The strengthening of our ties is a welcome and necessary measure in the face of the profound shifts taking place in the global landscape. Latin America and Southeast Asia are dynamic regions driving the building of a multipolar world.

The combined GDPs of MERCOSUR and ASEAN – which amount to $2.8 and $3.8 trillion respectively – make the two blocs important players in the international arena.

In times of uncertainty, it is imperative that we work together to make sure that multipolarity means an international order ruled by fair and equitable norms and institutions, not the division of the globe into spheres of influence by major powers.

Recent history has taught us that treading a path of independence is the only way to achieve prosperity for our people.

Brazil´s firm commitment to multilateralism is what moves us to be at the forefront of international fora. Brazil hopes to count on Việt Nam's support for the Brazilian presidency of BRICS and COP30 throughout this year.

As a strong voice in the Global South, Việt Nam is a welcome partner in our push to promote a global governance that is more representative and more responsive to the interests and needs of the developing world.

As a country with a large vegetation cover, Việt Nam is also a key player in demanding international mechanisms to remunerate the climate and environmental services provided by our tropical forests.

In hosting those major international events, Brazil hopes to build on the successes of our recently ended presidency of the G20. Việt Nam took part in working group meetings and at the Rio Summit and was an early supporter of the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty proposed by Brazil.

When people in Việt Nam want to know if someone is doing well, they ask if they have already eaten. When people in Brazil want to show that they care for someone, they cook for them.

Food is an important part of our cultures, as much as food security is a top priority for both of our governments. Having lifted millions of people out of poverty in the last decades, Brazil and Việt Nam have learned valuable lessons that they can share with the world. Together we can overcome whatever challenges come our way and be positive forces for a better future. — VNS

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