Ambassador of Brazil to Viet Nam Vitoria Alice Cleaver.

On the occasion of Brazil's Independence Day tomorrow (September 7) Viet Nam News introduces an article written by Ambassador of Brazil to Viet Nam Vitoria Alice Cleaver.

On this September 7th, we celebrate the 190th anniversary of the Independence of Brazil. Our development trajectory has not been easy or steady. At the time of the independence, Brazil's economy was mainly rural and our population was small for the territory.

In 1889 we adopted a Republican system, in the 1930s initiated industrialisation, in the 1990s stabilised the macro-economy and over the last decade we've been fighting social inequality and poverty. Nowadays, Brazil is a country of almost 200 million people, industrialised, democratic and active in the international arena.

Brazil and Viet Nam established diplomatic relations in 1989. Both countries have resident embassies and have exchanged several visits on different levels and areas. Our countries share a common co-ordination in international organisations and are in favour of a renewed and more representative international system. Mutual admiration contributes to the ever-growing relationship between the two countries.

 

City of God: A view of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city in Brazil. Known for its natural settings, carnival celebrations, and beaches, the city is one of the most visited cities in the southern hemisphere. — Photo courtesy of Embassy of Brazil.

One of the most successful areas is trade, that reached US$1.44 billion in 2011. Both imports and exports have been growing in a balanced way and have not yet reached their full potential. Businessmen from both countries are still in the process of getting to know each other's market. We believe it is possible to increase the percentage of industrial goods in Brazil's exports to Viet Nam, as well as surmount the $2 billion trade-flow threshold by 2013. We note also a positive increase in the number of Vietnamese businessmen travelling to Brazil in search of new business opportunities.

Brazilian companies are in most ASEAN countries but not yet in Viet Nam. The next and fundamental step is to promote Brazilian investments in Viet Nam. This is the expectation of our companies that attended the Viet Nam-Latin America Trade and Investment Ministerial Forum. In this direction, the Embassy has been working with the Government to identify sectors in which opportunities and partners are needed. As our experience shows, as soon as one of Brazil's multinational companies enter this market, both trade and other investments will follow.

Regarding co-operation, Brazil and Viet Nam have signed different instruments in the areas of biofuels, medicine and health, culture and sports, among others. Brazil is also part of an innovative co-operation financed by IBSA Fund (India, Brazil and South Africa Trust Fund) and implemented by FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations) in the central city of Da Nang on rice seed production.

In the field of culture, Brazil participated in the Latin American Movie Festival and presented to the Vietnamese public the Brazilian guitarist Fabricio Mattos this year. The important contribution of the Department of Portuguese of the University of Ha Noi in qualifying Vietnamese in Portuguese language is also noteworthy. Brazil maintains teacher in Ha Noi and intends to strengthen the co-operation between the University of Ha Noi with Brazilian counterparts.

The Viet Nam-Brazil Friendship Association is very active and, in the last two years, has been promoting the exchange of visits and information, thus contributing to the continuous dialogue among the two countries.

I am confident the relationship between the two countries will continue to deepen in the interest of both our peoples. — VNS