The decision to raise the level of ties is reflected in the Joint Declaration issued on Monday in Rio de Janeiro, venue of the 19th G-20 Summit, and signed by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the head of the Vietnamese government.

In the text, both leaders expressed their satisfaction with the progress achieved by the two countries over the years and reaffirmed their commitment to foster an even stronger relationship based on friendship and mutual respect.

They also applauded the sustained growth in economic exchanges and pledged to continue promoting actions that will increase bilateral trade to $10 billion by 2025 and $15 billion by 2030.

The statement also hails the launch of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, of which Vietnam is a founding member, and captures the commitment of both leaders to advance collective efforts to eradicate hunger by the end of the decade, in line with the 2030 Agenda.

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