Hanoi, March 28 -- State President Luong Cuong hosted a grand state banquet in Hanoi on March 28 in honour of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is on a state visit to Vietnam.

In his opening speech, President Cuong affirmed that despite the geographical distance, Vietnam and Brazil have long shared the common values of freedom, ideals, and a strong aspiration for peace. Throughout their histories of struggle for independence and national defence, both nations have etched heroic and glorious chapters, marked by the undauntedness and desire for a brighter future.

He recalled a pivotal time in 1912, when a young man who later became President Ho Chi Minh lived and worked in Rio de Janeiro to seek a path for national salvat...