Mr Triet made the statement during his talks with visiting Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Hanoi on July 10. He spoke highly of the gradual development of cooperative ties between Vietnam and Brazil, with their two-way trade value rising to US$323 million in 2007 from US$75 million in 2004.

He thanked Brazil for supporting Vietnam in the past struggle for national liberation and the present cause of national construction and development. He also thanked Brazil for supporting Vietnam’s admission to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and its election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Mr Triet reaffirmed support for Brazil’s role in the world arena, its bid for non-permanent membership of the UNSC in the 2010-2011 period and permanent membership of the UNSC when the organisation is enlarged.

For his part, President da Silva praised Vietnam as an emerging market in the region and the world and expressed Brazil’s desire to boost multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam.

Host and guest exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern and stressed the need for closer cooperation between Southeast Asia and South America in promoting South-South dialogue.

They hoped that the first MERCOSUR-ASEAN ministerial conference, to be held in Brazil in November 2008, would help increase mutual understanding between the two regions.

President da Silva invited Mr Triet to visit Brazil and the invitation was accepted with pleasure.

After the talks, the two presidents witnessed the signing of four cooperative documents, including a memorandum of understanding on the establishment of an inter-governmental committee for cooperation between Vietnam and Brazil, an agreement on cooperation in science and technology, a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in poverty reduction, and a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in sports and physical training.

Later, President da Silva attended a seminar on building a new partnership between Vietnam and Brazil and was received by Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh.  

Mr Manh described President da Silva's visit as a milestone in bilateral relations. He affirmed that Vietnam always attaches importance to developing its friendship, solidarity and comprehensive cooperation with Brazil in the interests of the two people and for the sake of peace, national independence, democracy and social progress in the two regions and the rest of the world.