Hanoi (VNA) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva held talks with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and was received by Communist Party of Vietnam General Secretary Nong Duc Manh in the afternoon of July 10.

In the talks with President Da Silva, who is on an official visit to Vietnam , PM Dung said economic and commercial relations between the two countries remain modest despite an eight-fold increase over the past five years.

“Economic and commercial relations have not yet matched the two countries’ potential, so greater efforts should be made to boost bilateral cooperation in agriculture, processing industry, bio-technology and energy,” Dung said.

He pointed to the necessity for both sides to deploy freshly-signed agreements, especially the one on establishing a joint governmental committee, as soon as possible in order to boost commercial and investment relations.

Dung promised to send more administration delegations and business missions to Brazil to survey projects of cooperation. He also assured Brazilian businesses of favourable conditions for long-term investment in Vietnam .

“ Vietnam seeks Brazil ’s experiences in coffee growing and processing and bio-energy,” Dung said.

In a meeting with CPV General Secretary Nong Duc Manh, President Da Silva expressed his admiration at Vietnam ’s great renewal achievements.

“The Brazilian Government is determined to develop friendship, solidarity and multi-faceted cooperation with Vietnam ,” Da Silva pledged, after praising the outcome of a Brazil visit in May 2007 by CPV General Secretary Manh.

In reply, Party General Secretary Manh warmly welcomed President Da Silva of Brazil , describing his visit as an important contribution to the friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

“Vietnam respects the friendship, solidarity and multi-faceted cooperation with Brazil in the interest of the two peoples and for the sake of peace, national independence, democracy and social progress in the two regions and the world as a whole,” Manh said.