Press statement on occasion of President Lula's State visit to Vietnam

It is a pleasure to return to ancient Hanoi seventeen years after my first visit, in 2008.

My return is accompanied by a significant delegation of ministers, parliamentarians, union leaders, and businesspeople.

The world has undergone profound transformations since then.

Unilateral actions now put multilateralism at risk.

Global governance in trade, health and the environment is under serious threat.

Gaza is now the greatest symbol of the abandonment of the humanism we cultivate.

Nothing justifies the indiscriminate killing of civilians.

In Ukraine, Brazil has always advocated for the path of dialogue. We support all efforts in that direction.

As proponents of a multipolar order, Latin America and Southeast Asia must avoid a new division of the world into spheres of influence.

Even if our experiences were different, Vietnam and Brazil both suffered the effects of the Cold War, so we both know that the best way forward is non-alignment.

Therefore, it is only natural that our countries agreed, last November, to elevate our bilateral relationship to the status of Strategic Partnership.

Today, I have the honor of being alongside President Luong Cuong to turn it into concrete actions.

We have adopted a wide-ranging action plan for the 2025-2030 period, which will help us advance in various areas.

With bilateral trade flows already approaching 8 billion dollars, Brazil exports more to Vietnam than it sells to Portugal, the United Kingdom and France.

In this sense, my government is interested in recognizing Vietnam as a market economy.

These and other measures will allow us to expand trade and investment flows between our countries.

Opening the Vietnamese market to Brazilian beef will attract investment from Brazilian meatpackers to make this country an export platform for Southeast Asia.

We have already contributed to Vietnam's food security, and we aim to increase the export of higher-value goods, including aircraft.

I hope that Vietnam Airlines will positively consider the Brazilian Company of Aeronautics’ [Empresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica AS/EMBRAER] offer of E-Jet family jets, which are ideal for regional connectivity.

The Brazilian presidency of MERCOSUR, which will begin in July, will work towards a well-balanced agreement with Vietnam that will benefit both sides.

No collaboration is as strategic for the future of two emerging countries as cooperation on education, science, and technology.

Soon, our universities will be able to promote exchanges of professors and students, as well as other joint initiatives.

We are exploring partnerships in areas such as semiconductors, Artificial Intelligence, digital technologies, biotechnology, and renewable energies.

I conveyed to the President an invitation for Vietnam to participate in two important international events that Brazil will host this year: the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro and COP30 in Belém.

In Brazil, we use the word ''mutirão'' to refer to a large mobilization around a common goal. It is with this feeling that we aim to reach Belém.

To fulfill the Paris Agreement, all countries must adopt the highest possible level of ambition within their development circumstances.

Vietnam and Brazil are the world's two largest coffee producers, and both have had recent harvests affected by climate change.

We are determined to expand our technical exchange to strengthen the resilience of coffee cultivation.

Vietnam can benefit from the Forever Tropical Forest Fund proposed by Brazil and be rewarded for its environmental preservation efforts.

I thanked the President for Vietnam's adherence to the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, which will soon begin implementing pilot projects in several countries.

The commitment to the well-being of our populations is a priority we share.

Passion for football is another connection that brings us closer.

I congratulate the Vietnamese team for their victory in the ASEAN Championship, with the participation of top scorer Rafaelson, a Brazilian naturalized Vietnamese.

He is an example of what Brazil and Vietnam can achieve by joining forces.

Celebrating the 35th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations, I hope that we continue our path of friendship, mutual respect, and cooperation for another 35 years and beyond.

Thank you very much.