This is President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's second visit to Vietnam after 17 years since his previous visit in 2008. It is also the first state visit by a foreign leader to Vietnam in 2025, reflecting the friendship and trust of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Brazil towards Vietnam and the bilateral relationship, as well as Vietnam's appreciation for Brazil and the Vietnam-Brazil ties.
The state visit by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to Vietnam takes place at a time when the world continues to witness rapid and complex changes, yet cooperation and development remain the overarching trend.
The Latin American region generally maintains a trend of dialogue and cooperation. Efforts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and adjust the growth model, which previously relied heavily on exports of raw and semi-processed materials, have positioned the Latin American economy as one of the pillars of global economic growth.
In terms of foreign policy, alongside maintaining strong relationships with major partners like the US, the European Union (EU), and China, Latin America has diversified its partnerships, focusing on the Asia-Pacific region.
As a prominent country in the region, Brazil strives to consolidate its role and position to lead the region alongside other Latin American nations.
Following a policy of developing relations with all countries, Brazil has consistently played an active role in international institutions, enhancing cooperation, and promoting the role of Southern Hemisphere countries in global governance mechanisms; actively engaging in South-South cooperation while defending multilateralism based on respect for national sovereignty, peace, and sustainable development.
In line with the trend of cooperation and development, the Vietnam-Brazil Strategic Partnership continues to develop positively and in-depth.
Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1989, Vietnam and Brazil have built a solid and comprehensive relationship based on political trust and mutual understanding.
Over more than 35 years, the Vietnam-Brazil relationship has been continuously strengthened through the establishment of embassies in both countries, regular exchanges of high-level delegations, and a comprehensive partnership in 2007, which was then upgraded to a Strategic Partnership in 2024.
The two countries have also established cooperation mechanisms, including the Joint Commission on Economic-Trade and Political Consultation between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, signed bilateral agreements, and closely cooperated at multilateral forums.
Establishing new cooperation frameworks between the two countries has contributed to deepening their partnership in all areas and across all channels of Party diplomacy, State diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy.
The friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Brazil have been increasingly consolidated through shared interests and deep connections between the peoples of the two countries, as well as the complementarity of their economies.
In Latin America, Brazil is Vietnam's largest trading partner, with two-way trade reaching nearly 8 billion USD in 2024, accounting for 34.8% of Vietnam's total trade with the region.
In 2024, Vietnam's exports to Brazil totalled 2.6 billion USD, while imports from Brazil were nearly $5.4 billion.
Vietnam and Brazil have potential for enhanced cooperation in trade, agriculture, energy, science and technology, security and defence, environmental protection, and climate change response.
Welcoming President Lula da Silva's state visit, Vietnam continues to implement its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation, and diversification; actively and proactively promoting comprehensive, intensive, and effective international integration.
The visit also reaffirms the Vietnamese Party and State’s consistent policy of appreciating the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Brazil and Latin American partners in general.
The state visit by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to Vietnam, which follows the elevation of Vietnam-Brazil relations to a strategic partnership during Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's visit to Brazil in November 2024, demonstrates the determination of both countries to further strengthen and deepen their friendship and cooperation.
The success of the visit will contribute to opening a new chapter in the Vietnam-Brazil Strategic Partnership, for the benefit of the people of both countries, and peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world at large.
