Reporter: Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is scheduled to attend the 2024 G20 Rio de Janeiro summit in Brazil from November 18-19. How do you assess Brazil's invitation to the Prime Minister to attend the G20?
Ambassador Marco Farani:
The invitation addressed to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh was directly formulated by President Lula da Silva in September of last year, during his official visit to Brazil, and later reiterated during the visit to Vietnam by the Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Mauro Vieira, earlier this year. Vietnam's participation in the G20 Summit, under the Brazilian presidency, which will be held this month in Rio de Janeiro, is of great importance, given the country's increasingly dynamic presence on the international stage. The Brazilian government views with great respect and admiration Vietnam's economic dynamism, its active insertion on the international markets with the signing of free trade agreements with several countries around the world and its positive contribution to the major issues on the international agenda.
As we know, the G20 is the first forum for international economic cooperation, launched in 1999, and since then it became a great a strong mechanism for economic coordination that brings together the world's largest world economies and collaborates to strengthen, through dialogue and understanding, the global architecture. The G20 brings together 85% of the world's GDP, 75% of global trade and 2/3 of the world's population. As you can see, Vietnam, an example of economic resilience, progress and innovation, could not fail to be present at this discussion forum.
Reporter: How do you evaluate Vietnam’s initiatives and contributions at G20?
Ambassador Marco Farani:
This year, Brazil assumed the presidency of the G20 and launched the theme “ Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet”, which reflects the great concern with the sustainable development of economies, and especially with the reduction of social inequalities in the world. The current world presents a complex and polarized reality. The escalation global tensions has directly affected social well-being and increased inequalities, precipitating the most vulnerable populations into situations of hunger and poverty, not to mention the climate catastrophes that further aggravate this sad scenario. Brazilian presidency of the G20, concerned with these issues, proposed three pillars that will guide the debates during the G20: social inclusion and the fight against poverty, energy transition and sustainable development, and reform of institutions and global governance as well.
I believe that Vietnam’s participation in the G20 Summit will bring important contributions and alternatives to issues of economic and social nature that will be the core of the discussions this year under Brazil rotating presidency of G20. Vietnam, in first place, is an example of historic resilience and reconstruction and its experience along the years may contribute with alternatives to challenges and crises that impact the economy and social development, especially in the Global South economies.
Vietnam has become one of the fastest growing economies in Asia, a self-sufficient country in the food production, which raised the income level of the population and engaged into efforts to overcome the energy transition process . In the international arena, Vietnam has participated actively in several multilateral organizations and it has been consistent on the defense of peaceful solution for conflicts based on the principles of the international law framework.
Reporter: Could you touch on the significance and expectations of the Vietnamese leaders upcoming visit to Brazil ?
Ambassador Marco Farani:
This year, Brazil and Vietnam celebrate 35 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations and I would say that the visit of Minister Pham Minh Chinh for the second time to Brazil, reflects two important points: it testifies a relevant degree of progress in mutual trust built between these two countries over the years, which reafirmed positive prospects for deepening bilateral relations in important areas of bilateral cooperation; secondly, it illustrates Vietnam's commitment to issues of great importance on the international stage, such as sustainability, poverty reduction and a more equitable distribution of decision-making power in the world.
The Brazilian government recognizes Vietnam's maturity in dealing with these issues and for this reason, in addition to the invitation extended to the Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Vietnam was also invited to join the discussion panels on Agriculture , Science, Technology and Innovation and the reform of Global Governance .
Reporter: Can you share with us achievements in Vietnam- Brazil relations over recent time?
Ambassador Marco Farani:
I am pleased to assess the current relations between Brazil and Vietnam because they reflect the buildind up of a constructive and harmonious dialogue over the past years. More recently, bilateral relations reached a new momentum with the increase in the exchange of high-level visits. Only during the two last years, we had the honor to receive the Prime Minister's visit, during we signed agréments in several cooperation areas such as education, agriculture, defense. Last year, Brazil the Minister of Science and Technology, Vice-Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of Foreign Affairs visited officially Vietnam. Multisectoral seminars were also held in the area of trade and investment. We participated in conferences sponsored by the Academy of Sciences during which were discussed the potential of bilateral relations. We held a high-level seminar, the “ Ethanol Talks ”, which presented alternatives for the energy transition. In addition to these people to people remarkable exchange , we carried out cultural activities to celebrate our 35th anniversary, which contributed to bringing our peoples and cultures even closer.
Reporter: Could you elaborate measures both nations should launch to deepen and strength their bilateral ties in the time ahead?
Ambassador Marco Farani:
Brazil and Vietnam have the conditions to further enrich and diversify bilateral cooperation. Stable economies and policies, a growing population, low inflation rates, high employment rates and a commitment to innovation, environmental sustainability and social inclusion. In terms of trade, bilateral trade reached USD 7.1 billion in both directions, with prospects for reaching USD 10 billion by 2030. The economies have similarities, but also a high degree of complementarity, which helps to attract entrepreneurs from various sectors and increase the prospects for new opportunities in this sector.
Brazil is one of the world's largest food exporters and plays a key role in global food security. This is one of the main reasons why the Brazilian government has been highlighting the issue of hunger and poverty in the world, so that everyone can be freed from the threat of hunger and malnutrition. At the G20, the Brazilian government launched the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, one of main initiatives of its presidency. This important strategy aims at bringing countries and institutions together and mobilize resources to combat hunger and poverty all around the world.
Furthermore, science , technology and innovation are pillars of development in Brazil and the government has dedicated resources to the implementation of projects in these areas , such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors production and digital transformation. Brazil has demonstrated considerable progress in the latter . It has green technology and a mature vision of how to reconcile production levels with sustainability. So, in summary, we have three more strategic sectors: food production, energy transition and science and technology, not to mention the cooperation that can be successfully established in the security and defense sector.
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