Pedro de Oliveira, Secretary-General of the Brazil-Viet Nam Friendship Association:**

Let’s play football, watch films and travel together

By developing these activities more extensively, the people of Viet Nam and Brazil will gain a much deeper understanding of and stronger bonds with each other. Pedro de Oliveira, Secretary-General of the Brazil-Viet Nam Friendship Association, made the remarks in an interview with Viet Nam Times.

Pedro de Oliveira, Secretary-General of the Brazil-Viet Nam Friendship Association. (Photo: Courtesy of the Brazil-Viet Nam Friendship Association)

One point he emphasized was the role and effective contributions of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations and the Viet Nam-Brazil Friendship and Cooperation Association, both in the past and in the future, to the development of people-to-people friendship between the two countries. Notably, “the Viet Nam-Brazil Friendship and Cooperation Association compiled and published the first Portuguese-Vietnamese specialized dictionary, covering 17 subject areas and approximately 20,000 entries. It also plans to digitize the dictionary and make it freely available to the public.

The Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations, together with friendship organizations, has also supported connections among business delegations, promoted relations with Brazil’s legislative bodies, and strengthened ties with the Vietnamese community living in Brazil.

I highly appreciate the orientation toward expanding cooperation with young people, women and universities in the two countries.”

The Brazil-Viet Nam Friendship Association poses for a photo beside a mural honoring President Ho Chi Minh on the 136th anniversary of his birth, on Santa Teresa Street in Rio de Janeiro in May 2026. (Photo: Courtesy of the Brazil-Viet Nam Friendship Association)

Sharing his thoughts on people-to-people relations between the two countries in the coming period, he said: “Viet Nam-Brazil relations are entering a new phase of development. Over the past three years, senior leaders of the two countries have held five important meetings in Viet Nam, Brazil and on the sidelines of multilateral conferences. In particular, the elevation of bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership in November 2024 has opened up many new opportunities for cooperation. Under the Action Plan for 2025-2030, people-to-people exchanges have been identified as one of the six pillars of bilateral relations.

The Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations should continue to leverage political momentum to promote people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between localities, while maintaining regular dialogue among friendship organizations and creating more opportunities for the people of the two countries to gain a better understanding of and forge closer bonds with each other.

Specifically, in the cultural sphere, we could organize film festivals in both countries to introduce outstanding cinematic works from each country to a broad audience.

Sports is an area with great potential, particularly football - a sport beloved by people in both countries. We could establish partnerships between football clubs in Brazil and Viet Nam, contributing to people-to-people exchanges in a natural and effective way.

I hope the two countries will promote tourism cooperation, particularly by studying the possibility of opening direct air routes between Brazil and Viet Nam. This would facilitate people-to-people exchanges, trade and investment, helping to further deepen and broaden Viet Nam-Brazil relations in the coming period.”

Pedro Oliveira visits the subway station where President Ho Chi Minh frequently passed through while in Brazil. (Photo: Courtesy of the Brazil-Viet Nam Friendship Association) From a historical perspective, relations between Viet Nam and Brazil have a historical connection dating back to a very early period. In 1912, the young Vietnamese patriot Nguyen Tat Thanh – who later became President Ho Chi Minh - stayed in Rio de Janeiro for approximately six months while working as a sailor aboard the Latouche-Tréville, where he received treatment for an illness. During his time there, he worked while immersing himself in the lives of the Brazilian people, particularly workers and civil servants, through which he gained an understanding of workers’ struggles for better living and working conditions. These historical foundations contributed to the development of the friendship between the two peoples. In recent years, people-to-people exchanges between Viet Nam and Brazil have made significant progress in terms of institutional foundations, cooperation outcomes and strategic orientations, becoming a highlight of the Strategic Partnership between the two countries. The Viet Nam-Brazil Friendship and Cooperation Association has played and continues to play an important role in promoting cooperation between the peoples of the two countries. At its National Congress in July 2025, the Association identified a number of new orientations, including strengthening tourism and cultural connectivity and promoting cooperation among localities and friendship organizations, thereby contributing to greater mutual understanding and supporting socio-economic development. In Brazil, the Brazil-Viet Nam Friendship Association also works closely with the Embassy in a range of economic, cultural and people-to-people exchange activities.

Cho Eun Seung, Country Representative of Good Neighbors Viet Nam:

Strengthen connectivity, accelerate digitalization of NGO projects

During more than 20 years of operations in Viet Nam, with the active support of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations and provincial-level unions of friendship organizations, Good Neighbors has successfully implemented a wide range of community development projects.

Cho Eun Seung, Country Representative of Good Neighbors Viet Nam. (Photo: Courtesy of Good Neighbors Viet Nam)

Looking ahead, I hope to see further development in the following three areas:

First, we need to continue strengthening the capacity for cooperation with international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), not only at the central level but also at the local level, in order to achieve greater balance in the level of cooperation among different regions.

Second, digital platforms should be applied to optimize project approval procedures, information sharing and partner connections. The effective operation of these platforms will enable the professional expertise of INGOs to reach communities on the ground more quickly and directly.

GNI hands over a KB library worth VND 1.9 billion to Dai Phu Lower Secondary School in Phu Luong Commune, Tuyen Quang Province, in March 2026. (Photo: GNI)

Third, opportunities for mutual learning should be expanded and regular networks established to enable INGOs to share their experiences as well as successful projects and exemplary initiatives they have implemented. I believe this would not only improve the effectiveness of individual projects but also make a major contribution to Viet Nam’s overall development achievements.

Prof. PhD Phan Thi Tra My, Shandong Normal University, President of the Vietnamese Business Association in China:

Establish business support hubs

Prof. PhD Phan Thi Tra My, Shandong Normal University, President of the Vietnamese Business Association in China.

For the business community, the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations not only connects businesses with the right partners but also helps bridge differences in culture, business environments and approaches to cooperation, thereby laying a solid foundation for long-term, effective and mutually beneficial partnerships.

Looking ahead, economic exchanges and cooperation will be one of the important drivers of people-to-people diplomacy. The Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations could establish business support hubs and strengthen sectoral, local and priority-area cooperation programs, with a focus on substantive results. At the same time, it should promote the role of friendship relations between localities, turning friendship cooperation into a foundation for advancing economic, trade and investment cooperation.

The Vietnamese Business Association in China stands ready to work alongside the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations to connect high-tech, AI, robotics, green technology and advanced manufacturing businesses with opportunities to explore cooperation in Viet Nam; coordinate the organization of business exchange programs; and support connections between businesses and localities seeking to expand cooperation. These efforts will contribute to improving the effectiveness of people-to-people diplomacy and promoting substantive economic cooperation.

Prof. PhD Tra My surveys the low-altitude economy sector at the BRICS Industrial Exhibition in Xiamen, China.

On the occasion of the 2026-2031 term National Congress, I wish the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations continued success in promoting its pioneering role in people-to-people diplomacy, with trust as the foundation, affection as the bond that connects people, and common interests as the goal; so that friendship will not stop at handshakes, but be translated into practical projects, infrastructure, factories and concrete jobs, contributing to the prosperity of each country and sustainable cooperation between the two peoples.

Building Set of Criteria to Assess Effectiveness of People-to-People Diplomacy The Can Tho Union of Friendship Organizations has proposed issuing a set of criteria to assess people-to-people diplomacy activities based on effectiveness, outreach and sustainability; developing a shared database; strengthening personnel training; and enhancing inter-regional coordination.

Continuing Story of Viet Nam-Cuba Friendship, Together The “sister organization” is how the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) referred to the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations in its congratulatory message to the Union’s 2026-2031 National Congress. ICAP expressed its appreciation for the support and solidarity extended to Cuba and its wish for the two organizations to continue working together to strengthen friendship and cooperation.