On the morning of November 17 (local time), during his visit to the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Jose Serrador, Global Vice President of Embraer Aerospace Corporation.  

Welcoming Embraer’s successful business operations, Prime Minister Chinh recalled his visit to the company in September last year and expressed a desire to deepen the partnership between Embraer and Vietnam.  

Jose Serrador highlighted civil aviation as one of Embraer’s two primary cooperation focuses with Vietnam.  

He noted that Brazil’s Development Bank has launched a funding program to support the development of civil aviation, providing a solid foundation for expanding Embraer’s cooperation with Vietnam. Serrador also emphasized Embraer’s strategic plans to strengthen its coverage of key routes, including the crucial Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City route and the Hanoi-Con Dao route, where Embraer aircraft are already in service.  

The vice president expressed readiness to expand Embraer’s presence in Vietnam through enhanced maintenance and training activities to bolster Vietnam’s capabilities in civil aviation. He also voiced interest in exploring defense trade opportunities with Vietnam.  

Prime Minister Chinh supported Embraer’s cooperation proposals, agreeing to jointly promote collaboration in civil aviation and defense. He suggested adopting a gradual, scalable approach: “No matter how far, if we travel, we will reach; no matter how close, without moving, we will not arrive.”  

He highlighted the strengthening relationship between Vietnam and Brazil, noting that the two nations are finalizing procedures to elevate their ties. Following his visit to Brazil last year, bilateral trade has grown, with complementary markets providing a strong foundation for expanded economic, trade, and investment cooperation, including with Embraer.  

The Prime Minister outlined Vietnam’s strategic focus on exploiting space, marine, and underground resources.  

With its geostrategic location at the heart of Southeast Asia, Vietnam boasts a robust aviation network connecting to most dynamic regional economies, positioning itself as a potential global aviation hub.  

Chinh emphasized the importance of collaboration with leading companies like Embraer to achieve this goal, inviting the corporation to provide consultations and conduct research to help Vietnam build its global aviation hub.  

“Even the Middle East, with less favorable geography than Vietnam, has become a global aviation hub. Vietnam has no reason not to achieve this,” Chinh asserted.  

He also proposed that Embraer consider establishing aircraft maintenance and warranty centers in Vietnam and assist in developing a pilot training center.  

The Prime Minister encouraged Embraer to expand its partnerships with Vietnamese airlines and directly visit Vietnam to explore cooperation opportunities, highlighting aviation as a critical bridge for strengthening bilateral ties.  

Thu Hang