During the visit, Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dung met with Governor Tim Walz, Acting Speaker of the Minnesota House John Huot, State Senator Susan Pha, and leaders of Minnesota’s foreign affairs, employment and economic development agencies.

Governor Tim Walz, state lawmakers and agency leaders reaffirmed the importance of ties with Vietnam, describing the country as an important partner in the region and expressing interest in expanding cooperation with Vietnamese localities in agriculture, medical technology, education, infrastructure development and business connectivity.

At the meetings, Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dung highlighted positive developments in the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and underscored cooperation potential in areas where Minnesota has strengths and which are also among Vietnam’s development priorities, including trade, agriculture, high technology, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, education and workforce training.

He also called on Minnesota to continue supporting the Vietnamese community in the state, encourage businesses to expand investment and operations in Vietnam, and promote twinning ties between localities in Minnesota and Vietnam.

On economic cooperation, the ambassador chaired a roundtable with three leading economic promotion organizations in Minnesota, including the Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Economic Development Partnership, the Minneapolis Regional Chamber and the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce, with the participation of business associations and companies in agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare, technology and services, including the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association and Ecolab.

Speaking at the roundtable, Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dung said Vietnam and Minnesota have complementary strengths and encouraged businesses on both sides to step up cooperation in trade, investment, innovation and supply chain development.

Representatives of the Vietnam Trade Office in the United States and Becamex Vietnam introduced Vietnam’s investment and business environment and cooperation opportunities.

According to Minnesota business associations and companies, Vietnam is becoming an increasingly important link in the global technology supply chain and expressed interest in expanding cooperation in high-tech agriculture, medical technology, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, water management and industrial park development.

Businesses also suggested that Vietnam continue improving its circular economy ecosystem, with particular attention to ensuring adequate energy supply, clean water and high-quality human resources.

During his stay in Minnesota, Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dung also visited 3M’s Innovation Center and Medtronic’s headquarters. Both companies, which are investing and operating in Vietnam, spoke positively about Vietnam’s investment environment, reaffirmed their long-term commitment and expressed interest in expanding cooperation in technology, innovation and medical equipment.

In education, the ambassador held talks with the University of Minnesota, one of the leading research universities in the US, on boosting cooperation between Minnesota-based educational institutions and Vietnam.

In discussions with representatives of the Vietnamese Language and Vietnamese Heritage Language Program under the Language Center of the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota,  Dung praised efforts to preserve and promote the Vietnamese language within the community.

He also presented Vietnamese-language textbooks and publications on Vietnam’s history and culture to the university’s Language Center.

On community affairs, Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dung met with Professor Yang Dao and representatives of the Hmong community in Minnesota, sharing updates on Vietnam’s socio-economic development and policies toward overseas Vietnamese, while listening to community concerns and aspirations.

Community representatives expressed satisfaction with Vietnam’s development achievements and their desire to continue contributing to Vietnam-US relations and the country’s development.

On the sidelines of the visit, embassy representatives also visited several Vietnamese businesses and community groups in Saint Paul.

Minnesota is one of the key economic hubs in the U.S. Midwest, with strengths in manufacturing, medical technology, agriculture, life sciences and innovation.

Economic ties between Minnesota and Vietnam continue to grow, with two-way trade reaching nearly $800 million in 2025. The state is home to many leading US corporations, including companies with longstanding investment and business ties with Vietnam such as 3M, Medtronic, Cargill and Ecolab.

Minnesota’s Vietnamese community numbers more than 33,000 people, mainly concentrated in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area, and has made considerable contributions to the state’s economic and social life.