[1/3] Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva greets Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh during a news statement at the Itamaraty Palace in Brasilia, Brazil September 25, 2023.
The move comes as the Mercosur bloc tries to finalize a long-awaited trade deal with the European Union, which the leftist leader has been pushing to be concluded by the end of this year.
Canada, South Korea and Singapore are other countries in talks for trade deals with Mercosur.
Lula had previously hinted at potential agreements with China, Indonesia, Vietnam and countries in Central America and the Caribbean.
A memorandum of understanding on defense, Lula added, was the "first step" towards a future deal that would open room for his country to export defense products to the Asian nation, "including aircraft".
Persons:
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Pham Minh Chinh, Adriano Machado, Lula, Pham Minh, Minh Chinh, Vietnam's, Minh, Lisandra Paraguassu, Steven Grattan
Organizations:
Vietnam's, REUTERS, Rights, Mercosur, Vietnamese, European Union, EU, Saturday, Brazilian, Embraer, EMBR3, United Nations Security Council, Thomson
Locations:
Brasilia, Brazil, Rights BRASILIA, Vietnam, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Canada, South Korea, Singapore, China, Indonesia, Central America, Caribbean, Sao Paulo, Hanoi