Prime Minister holds talks with Brazilian President ahead of BRICS Summit

Pham expressed pleasure to meet President Silva for the fifth time, and thanked the Brazilian government for the warm and sincere welcome extended to the Vietnamese delegation.

He hailed Brazil's increasingly important role in promoting global agendas, expressing his belief that Brazil would continue to enhance its role in key multilateral mechanisms as it assumes the presidency of the G20 in 2024, the BRICS, COP 30, and Mercosur in 2025.

The Vietnamese leader appreciated Brazil's support for Viet Nam to become a partner country of BRICS, affirming that Viet Nam will participate in the Summit with the highest sense of responsibility.

He reaffirmed Viet Nam's strong commitment and active contribution to joint efforts in promoting peace, cooperation, and development, as well as enhancing the role of Global South countries at global governance institutions.

Pham voiced Viet Nam's advocate for and contribution to the success of BRICS during Brazil's presidency.

Regarding bilateral relations, the Prime Minister hailed the fruitful development in the bilateral ties, noting that the relevant agencies of both sides have actively implemented the Joint Declaration reached during President Silva's State visit to Viet Nam in March this year and the action plan for the implementation of the Viet Nam–Brazil Strategic Partnership for the 2025–2030 period.

Welcoming the Prime Minister and the high-level Vietnamese delegation to the BRICS Summit for the first time as a partner country, Lula said that as the host, Brazil wishes to further amplify the voice of the Global South in global governance mechanisms, with a focus on sustainable and inclusive development across economic, social, and environmental dimensions.

He spoke highly of Viet Nam's responsible role and contributions in addressing global challenges.

The two leaders agreed to continue collaboration in realizing measures to strengthen bilateral relations in a manner commensurate with the Strategic Partnership framework, including maintaining high-level contacts and exchanges, enhancing political trust, and effectively carrying out key agreements.

They vowed to boost cooperation in the fields of defense and security, such as defense trade and technology transfer, and promote collaboration in science and technology, development of high-quality human resources, exploitation and trade of minerals, ethanol and biomass energy, digital transformation, semiconductors and artificial intelligence, as well as judicial cooperation.

Both sides emphasized the need to speed up negotiations toward the signing of cooperation agreements in the areas of investment protection, avoidance of double taxation, and facilitation of visa procedures for citizens of the two countries.

Brazillian side affirmed its readiness to import more seafood and rice from Viet Nam. At the request of the Prime Minister, both sides agreed to sign an agreement to ensure stable and long-term food security for Brazil, under which Viet Nam will export rice to help stabilize Brazil's food supply.

The guest and the host pledged to strengthen ties in coffee sector, including promoting the formation of a coffee production and export alliance, exploring the establishment of a coffee exchange platform, developing a joint coffee brand, and elevating the coffee appreciation culture associated with the cultural identities of both nations.

Both sides concurred on advancing a new direction of cooperation, investing in the local production and processing of agricultural products to serve both domestic markets and exports to third countries with a view to leveraging each country's strengths, optimizing costs, and harmonizing mutual interests.

Pham called on Lulla to support the early conclusion of the free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations between Viet Nam and the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) in the second half of 2025, during Brazil's presidency of MERCOSUR, as well as advocate for an FTA between Viet Nam and Brazil.

President Silva affirmed his support for the Prime Minister's proposal and agreed that the two Ministers of Industry and Trade should begin discussions immediately and closely work with other MERCOSUR members.

The two leaders said that they would instruct their respective ministers to promptly implement the concrete outcomes of the talks in order to swiftly translate them into practical benefits for businesses in both countries—particularly in expanding market access for goods, agricultural products, and seafood—in the context of increasingly complex global trade dynamics.

Both sides agreed on the need to continue encouraging people-to-people and youth exchanges between the two countries, promoting peace, solidarity, and friendship through activities such as sports cooperation and academic exchange.

Regarding international and regional issues, they underlined the importance of strengthening cooperation on matters of global governance, United Nations reform, poverty eradication, and climate change mitigation.

They pledged to enhance mutual support at international and regional forums, particularly the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the Non-Aligned Movement, South-South Cooperation frameworks, and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

Both sides reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, and the freedom of navigation and overflight in maritime regions, including the East Sea, based on respect for the interests of coastal states and in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Pham took the occasion to convey President Luong Cuong's invitation to the President of Brazil to attend the signing ceremony of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, scheduled to take place in Ha Noi in October 2025.

Following the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation; the announcement ceremony of Viet Nam's first export shipment of pangasius, basa, and tilapia to Brazil; and the announcement of Brazil's first export shipment of beef to Viet Nam./.