At the invitation of Brazilian President Lula da Silva, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse are leading a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to attend the expanded BRICS Summit 2025 and undertake bilateral activities in Brazil from July 4 to 8, 2025. This marks Viet Nam’s first time participating in the expanded BRICS Summit as an official partner country of the bloc.

Established in 2006 at the level of Foreign Ministers, BRICS originally included Brazil, Russia, India, and China. Its founding goal was to build a global political, economic, and financial institution that reflects a more just, balanced, and representative power dynamic.

Following several rounds of expansion, BRICS has added South Africa, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Indonesia to its ranks. The bloc’s cooperation focuses on three main pillars: politics-security, economics-finance, and culture and people-to-people exchanges.

Over recent years, Viet Nam has participated in several BRICS+ activities at the invitation of rotating BRICS chairs.

In 2023, Vietnamese Ambassador to South Africa took part in the BRICS–Africa Conference and the BRICS+ Dialogue (in August 2023), as well as the fourth BRICS Political Parties Dialogue (in July 2023).

A year later, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh participated in the expanded BRICS Leaders’ Dialogue held during the BRICS Summit in Kazan, at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin (October 2024).

His participation was warmly welcomed by BRICS members and well received by the international community.

In June 2025, Brazil, which serves as the BRICS chair, officially announced Viet Nam’s admission as the bloc’s 10th partner country.

Under the theme “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for more Inclusive and Sustainable Governance”, the 17th BRICS Summit is taking place from July 6 to 7, 2025, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with the participation of numerous leaders from BRICS member countries, partners, and representatives of various nations and international organisations.

In 2025, under its presidency, Brazil is promoting six key priorities: global health cooperation; trade, investment and finance; climate change; artificial intelligence governance; multilateral peace and security architecture; and institutional development of BRICS.

With Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s participation in the 2025 expanded BRICS Summit, Viet Nam continues to demonstrate its active, proactive and responsible spirit in contributing to global efforts. The country stresses the importance of enhancing and desire to promote relations with BRICS member countries, partner countries, and guests at the Summit; and expresses its willingness to strengthen cooperation at multilateral forums and promote collaboration in areas where BRICS countries have strengths and Viet Nam has complementary needs, such as science and technology, innovation, high-tech agriculture, renewable energy, logistics, and finance.

Viet Nam highly values the role of BRICS in the multi-layered multilateral situation, along with other multilateral mechanisms, contributing to promoting balanced, inclusive and sustainable global governance. At the same time, Viet Nam highlights Brazil's leading role as BRICS Chair 2025.

Brazil’s economic growth reached 4.6% in 2021, and 2.9% in 2023. Labour force was estimated at 108.7 million people and the unemployment rate was 7.8% in 2023. Annual exports reached nearly 339 billion USD (2023), mainly natural gas, tin, zinc, gold, silver, coffee, soybeans and wood products; imports were about 253 billion USD (2023), including machinery and means of transport, consumer goods, raw materials and semi-finished products, chemicals, crude oil and food.

In foreign affairs, Brazil’s priorities are to strengthen relations with neighbouring countries, increase influence with countries in the Caribbean region and enhance its role and position in regional and international organisations; promote the integration process of South American countries within the framework of cooperation of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR), the Organisation of American States (OAS), and strengthen BRICS cooperation...

As a founding member of BRICS, Brazil is the largest economy in Latin America, and ranked 10th globally in 2023. The country is rich in natural resources, is the world’s second-largest agricultural producer, and the world’s third-largest mineral exporter. Brazil also has advanced scientific and technological capabilities across multiple production and applied research sectors, and owns a relatively developed aerospace, military, mechanical, and manufacturing industry.

Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Hang noted that, the Prime Minister’s trip, featuring a broad of bilateral and multilateral engagements, would contribute to the concrete implementation of the key objectives set out in the Politburo’s Resolution No. 59-NQ/TW on international integration in the current context, demonstrating Viet Nam’s consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification of international relations, and being a friend, trustworthy partner, and responsible member of the international community.

According to Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Hang, this marks the first time Viet Nam has participated as a partner country at the BRICS Summit - an increasingly influential multilateral cooperation mechanism of emerging economies in both economic and political spheres. According to the official, Viet Nam’s engagement as a BRICS partner and its presence at the summit reflects the Southeast Asian nation’s responsible role and contributions to multilateral mechanisms, and its efforts and commitment to promoting the voice and role of developing countries, strengthening international solidarity and inclusive multilateralism based on respect for international law, while also deepening cooperation with BRICS member states.

Given its significant implications, the Prime Minister’s working visit serves as an opportunity for Viet Nam to convey three major messages. 

First, the visit reaffirms Viet Nam’s message of peace, stability, cooperation, and development, as well as the country's determination and aspiration for advancement in the nation’s new era. Attending the summit also allows Viet Nam to actively and proactively participate in promoting inclusive and sustainable global governance, enhancing the voice of developing countries in addressing current challenges, and sharing experiences, viewpoints, visions, and practical lessons on development. It is also a chance to promote cooperation in areas aligned with Viet Nam’s priorities and interests.

Second, from a bilateral perspective, in a context of rapid and complex changes in the global and regional landscape, the visit reaffirms that Viet Nam is “a friend and a reliable partner” to the international community. The Prime Minister’s visit will act as an important diplomatic “bridge” to consolidate and strengthen the longstanding friendship and good cooperation between Viet Nam and Brazil, while also elevating Viet Nam’s image and position in Central and South America.

Lastly, the visit offers Viet Nam an opportunity to diversify its economic, trade, and investment relations with high-potential regions, thereby attracting international resources to serve national development goals in this era of national resurgence.

BRAZIL IS VIET NAM’S LARGEST
TRADE PARTNER IN LATIN AMERICA.

– Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang –

Regarding the Viet Nam–Brazil Strategic Partnership, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang emphasised that Brazil is Viet Nam’s largest trade partner in Latin America. Both sides continue to maintain and promote several bilateral dialogue mechanisms and high-level delegation exchanges. This visit provides an opportunity for the leaders of both countries to discuss major orientations to boost cooperation in trade, investment, and agriculture, and to effectively implement the policy of market, product, and supply chain diversification amidst current global trade uncertainties.

Published: July 2025
Production manager: CHU HONG THANG – PHAM TRUONG SON
Content: Thanh The
Design: Nha Nam