On 18 June, Vietnamese Ambassador to Brazil Bui Van Nghi held a working session with Ambassador Marco Antonio Nakata, Director of the Guimarães Rosa Institute (GRI), the focal agency of Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for cultural and educational cooperation.
The working session was also attended by Ambassador Marcelo Camara, whose appointment as Brazilian Ambassador to Viet Nam from late 2026 was recently approved by the Brazilian Senate.
At the meeting, Vietnamese Ambassador to Brazil Bui Van Nghi shared information on Viet Nam’s situation and Viet Nam-Brazil bilateral relations in recent times, as well as the need to promote cooperation in the time ahead. He emphasised the importance of advancing cooperation in culture and education, sports and people-to-people exchanges, one of the six pillars of the Action Plan to implement the Viet Nam-Brazil strategic partnership for the 2025-2030 period.
Ambassador Bui Van Nghi proposed that the Guimarães Rosa Institute continue to serve as an important partner of the Vietnamese Embassy in connecting Brazilian cultural and educational agencies with Viet Nam; supporting the implementation of cultural exchange programmes; promoting new public diplomacy initiatives; and enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of the two countries.
The ambassador expressed his wish that the two sides step up the sharing of experience in promoting cultural diplomacy to enhance each country’s soft power, while proposing several specific directions for cooperation in the time ahead.
Ambassador Marco Antonio Nakata and Ambassador Marcelo Camara agreed with Ambassador Bui Van Nghi’s proposals, especially the promotion of Vietnamese culinary culture in Brazil, and shared some of Brazil’s experience in promoting cultural and educational diplomacy with other countries.
Brazil is currently studying ways to promote cultural diplomacy with priorities suited to the characteristics of each country, and is focusing on organising international cultural festivals and contemporary art events with the participation of international art curators and private companies.
Brazil also attaches special importance to the role of the Portuguese language in strengthening international exchanges through the provision of scholarships for students from all countries, including those in Asia, to study and take part in academic exchanges at Brazilian universities.
At the end of the working session, the two sides agreed to maintain regular exchanges, share information and coordinate in implementing cultural and educational promotion activities to deepen the Viet Nam-Brazil Strategic Partnership towards events marking the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries (May 8, 1989-2029).
