President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will pay a state visit to Vietnam from March 27 to 29 at the invitation of State President Luong Cuong, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Sunday.

This will be the first visit by President Lula to Vietnam in his current term. 

He visited the Southeast Asian nation during his tenure as president from 2003 to 2011.

He has been the first and only Brazilian leader to visit Vietnam since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1989.

During his two previous presidential terms, he made efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation between Brazil and Vietnam across various sectors, including economy, trade, science and technology, renewable energy, and education. 

His leadership also witnessed key milestones in the bilateral relationship, including the establishment of the comprehensive partnership in 2007 and the elevation of relations to a strategic partnership in November 2024.

As the president of Brazil, he hosted welcome ceremonies for several Vietnamese leaders, including former Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh in May 2007, former State President Tran Duc Luong in November 2004, and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in September 2023. 

He also met with PM Chinh on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Brazil in November 2024.

During his upcoming visit to Vietnam, President Lula is set to attend a welcome ceremony and hold talks with the Vietnamese state president.

He will also meet with other top Vietnamese officials and take part in various activities aimed at boosting economic, trade, and investment ties between the two countries. 

Brazil is Vietnam’s largest trade partner in Latin America, a region with significant potential that aligns with Vietnam’s strategy to diversify its markets and supply chains. 

In 2024, two-way trade between the two nations reached over US$7.5 billion.

The two nations aim to increase the figure to $10 billion in 2025 and $15 billion in 2030.

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