Hanoi (VNA) – Minister of Foreign Affairs BuiThanh Son and his Brazilian counterpart Mauro Vieira reiterated the significanceof the Vietnam-Brazil relationship in the foreign relations of each country attheir talks in Hanoi on April 10.

Son said Vieira’s official visit to Vietnam from April9-11 will contribute to consolidating and enhancing the comprehensive partnershipbetween the two countries, towards advancing it in the context of the 35th anniversary of the bilateral ties this year.

Son called on Brazil, a member of the Southern CommonMarket (Mercosur), to push ahead with the launch of negotiations for a freetrade agreement between Vietnam and the bloc.

The minister expressed his belief that with itsreputation, role and experience, Brazil will successfully host the G20 Summit.

For his part, Vieira praised Vietnam’s foreign policy,international integration and socio-economic achievements, and affirmed that Brazilalways attaches importance and wishes to foster its relations with Vietnam, andthis visit is one of the concrete steps to implement the orientation.

Both officials spoke highly of the positive progressof the bilateral relationship in politics, diplomacy, economy and trade, aswell as cooperation at international multilateral forums, and in security,defence, agriculture, science-technology, culture, and people-to-peopleexchange.

Notably, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's officialvisit to Brazil in September 2023 has opened up many new cooperationopportunities, they said, adding Brazil is Vietnam's largest trade partner inLatin America with a turnover of more than 7.1 billion USD in last year.

They held that potential remains for the two sides toboost their cooperation, especially in the fields of climate change response,green and sustainable development, environmental protection, digitaltransformation, and Halal food production.

On the foundation of the good traditional friendship,the two sides will strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation, towardsthe establishment of a strategic partnership, for the sake of their people, andfor peace, stability and development in the two regions.

The ministers concurred to carry forward the meetingsof the joint committee, and political consultations at the deputy foreign ministerlevel, and put in place the agreement between the two diplomatic academies.

They highlighted joint efforts in maintaining closecooperation and mutual support at international organisations and multilateralforums such as the United Nations, G20, G77, and the World Trade Organisation(WTO), and noted their hope that the two countries will contribute to promotingcooperation between each country and Southeast Asia and Latin America, as wellas between ASEAN and Latin America.

The same day, Secretary of the Communist Party ofVietnam (CPV) Central Committee and Chairman of the Party Central Committee'sCommission for External Relations Le Hoai Trung hosted a reception for theBrazilian minister.

Trung suggested the two sides increase all-leveldelegations in all the Party, State and people-to-people diplomacy channels, workto raise the efficiency of cooperation across spheres, and enhance coordinationat international forums.

The CPV wishes for stronger relations with politicalparties in Brazil, including the Brazilian Workers' Party and the BrazilianCommunist Party, he said.

Vieira said Brazil highly valued Vietnam’s reform successesas well as its role and  position, andagreed on directions and measures to strengthen bilateral cooperation andcoordination at international forums.

The two sides will uphold Party relations andpeople-to-people diplomacy to reinforce the bilateral relations, he said./.