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On the occasion of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's upcoming state visit to Vietnam (March 27-29), Nguyen Van Lang, president of the Vietnam-Brazil Friendship and Cooperation Association, highlighted expectations for the visit and shared his deep affection for the beautiful Latin American nation.

President of the Vietnam-Brazil Friendship and Cooperation Association Nguyen Van Lang. Photo: Nguyen Van Lang

President Lula da Silva's state visit to Vietnam comes just four months after the two nations upgraded their relationship to a Strategic Partnership during Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's attendance at the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro. How do you perceive the positive developments in Vietnam-Brazil relations in recent times?

My fellow members of the Vietnam-Brazil Friendship and Cooperation Association and I are eagerly anticipating President Lula da Silva's visit. This visit takes place shortly after the two countries celebrated 35 years of diplomatic relations last year (May 8, 1989 - May 8, 2024) and upgraded their relationship to a Strategic Partnership. It marks an opportune time for both sides to further strengthen bilateral cooperation and international collaboration.

Given these significant milestones, I feel a sense of joy and excitement, mixed with an even greater sense of responsibility, as our association takes on new people-to-people diplomatic missions with a fresh approach.

With the determination of both nations' leadership and the growing friendship between our peoples, I firmly believe that Vietnam-Brazil relations will see robust development in the future, worthy of the Strategic Partnership framework.

Launch ceremony of the Portuguese-Vietnamese thematic dictionary – September 2023.

Your trips to the distant land of Brazil must have left you with many unforgettable memories?

Over the past two decades, I have visited Brazil six times in various capacities, each visit leaving lasting memories.

During every trip, I made it a priority to host gatherings with influential members of the Vietnamese community in Brazil, who have actively contributed to fostering bilateral ties. Notable figures include Professor Nguyen Van Tung, a renowned Vietnamese-born professor and former advisor to the Brazilian president, and Thai Quang Nghia ("Nghia Guoc"), CEO of Gooc Raiz, a successful Brazilian footwear and textile company whose products were once endorsed by football legend Pelé.

One unforgettable memory was in 2008 when I led a delegation from our association, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and Vietnam's trade office in Brazil to organize a trade promotion seminar in Sao Paulo. Due to flight delays and lost luggage, I arrived at the event in a rush, but despite these setbacks, the seminar was a great success. Thankfully, I was reunited with my luggage the next day.

There are countless memories, enough to fill an entire book on my experiences in Brazil.

How do you assess the importance of people-to-people diplomacy within the overall framework of the Vietnam-Brazil Strategic Partnership?

People-to-people diplomacy is one of the three pillars of Vietnam’s diplomatic strategy, developed over the past 80 years.

With increasingly open policies and mechanisms, people-to-people diplomacy provides extensive opportunities for cultural promotion, cooperation potential, and direct exchanges between individuals, social organizations, religious groups, and businesses.

Tourism, sports, seminars, discussions, and cultural exchanges offer accessible avenues for engagement, fostering deep and lasting impacts.

The 15-year journey of our association, marked by numerous achievements, stands as proof of the crucial role of people-to-people diplomacy in strengthening Vietnam-Brazil relations.

Launch ceremony of the Club for Vietnamese Alumni and Professionals in Brazil.

In the near future, what plans does the Vietnam-Brazil Friendship and Cooperation Association have to create breakthrough developments in people-to-people diplomacy, making an important contribution to promoting bilateral relations worthy of the Strategic Partnership?

Our association's leadership convened in December 2024 to prepare for our third congress, outlining major strategic initiatives.

We believe this is the most opportune moment to intensify bilateral cooperation, especially following last year’s 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the upcoming visit of President Lula da Silva.

Additionally, we will focus on economic cooperation, aiming to increase bilateral trade to US$15 billion by 2030, as outlined in the Joint Statement on the Strategic Partnership upgrade.

Agriculture remains our priority due to the numerous similarities between Vietnam and Brazil. We also plan to enhance collaboration in renewable energy transition, particularly ethanol, agricultural processing, science and technology cooperation—including strengthening ties between Hoa Lac High-Tech Park and Sao Paulo Tech Park, which signed an MoU in 2012—investment promotion, and cultural, sports, and tourism exchanges. Furthermore, we aim to establish Vietnam-Brazil Investment Promotion Centers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

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