Reflecting on his recent trade mission, Governor Jim Pillen said Vietnam offers significant potential for doing even more business with Nebraska. The Governor led a delegation of more than 20 including government, business and educational representatives during a week-long visit that culminated with Gov. Pillen meeting with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
“The focus of the trip with threefold – agriculture, manufacturing and increasing educational exchanges,” said Gov. Pillen. “Vietnam is a quickly developing country, with a growing middle class. They are very interested in a relationship with Nebraska and in the products that we are ready and able to offer.”
Those products, including beef and pork, were featured items in grocery markets visited by the group. During one stop, the Governor displayed his culinary talents alongside a well-known Vietnamese chef, making dishes with Nebraska ingredients.
“Vietnam has nearly 100 million people and the median age is 32. They want to make the leap from a developing country to a developed one and are looking for partners who can help in that regard. Nebraska has a lot to offer to support those efforts,” said Gov. Pillen.
Representatives from the Nebraska delegation met with ministers or vice ministers in the offices of foreign affairs, industry and trade, and agriculture and rural development. In addition to touting Nebraska’s animal production, Gov. Pillen also shared how feed grains could support existing needs to feed Vietnam’s livestock and flourishing aquaculture markets.
“For companies with representatives on this trip, it was a chance to connect with existing customers and to develop relationships with new ones. They signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) to further solidify those partnerships in hopes that they will lead to even greater trade opportunities.”
In addition to food and feed production, the trip also focused on educational connections. Chancellor of the University of Nebraska – Omaha, Dr. Joanne Li, met with academic leaders from two universities. At Eastern International University (EIU), representatives signed an agreement outlining collaborations in the fields of advanced manufacturing and technology. An MOU signed at the Vietnam National University of Agriculture (VNUA) promotes exchange relationships between students and faculty.
“As Vietnam moves from a largely rural agricultural society to one that is more focused on manufacturing, they will need the education and skills that we can provide through Nebraska’s university and state college systems,” said Gov. Pillen.
As part of a visit to Binh Doung Province, Gov. Pillen signed an MOU that will further establish friendly relations with that specific region. Vice Governor H.E. Mai Hung Dung came to Nebraska from the province last summer and attended the Governor’s Ag and Economic Development Summit. The province is looking to strengthen exchanges with Nebraska across a spectrum of common interests including agriculture, irrigation, construction, manufacturing health care and education.
The highlight of the tour was a previously unscheduled visit with Vietnam Prime Minister Chinh. The Prime Minister also highlighted the need for academic training and exchange programs, acknowledging that the digital transformation of his country was happening at a very rapid pace.
“There is so much interest in what we have to offer – and that really is about what Nebraska has to offer,” said Gov. Pillen. “The Vietnamese people share many common characteristics with Nebraskans – hard work, determination, and a desire for a better future. I have no doubt that there are many collaborations that will prove to be mutually beneficial going forward.”
Governor Pillen said he was committed to visiting Vietnam again in the future and continuing to build on the positive relationships established during this trip.