Speaking at the meeting, IESC Vice President Chad Ford expressed his pleasure at IESC’s official return to Vietnam after a period of project preparation and completion of the necessary registration procedures. He highly appreciated the support provided by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations throughout the process of establishing the Representative Office, affirming that this marked an important milestone for the organization to implement the project and provide technical assistance in Vietnam.

According to Chad Ford, the “US-Vietnam Agricultural Trade Expansion and Food Safety” project focuses on three main areas: supporting trade facilitation and digital transformation in management; developing cold-chain logistics systems; and enhancing access to finance for businesses in the agricultural sector.

Through the project, IESC will coordinate with Vietnamese agencies to promote data connectivity among ministries and sectors, strengthen the capacity of the food safety and quarantine systems, support the modernization of agricultural logistics chains, and facilitate businesses’ access to financing for investment and development.

Nguyen Ngoc Hung (third from right), Vice President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations, receives Chad Ford (third from left), Vice President of IESC (United States). (Photo: Thanh Thao)

Chad Ford emphasized that IESC attaches importance to working alongside partners to jointly identify needs and develop appropriate solutions. “This is a collaborative process. Together with our Vietnamese partners, we discuss challenges, find appropriate solutions, and mobilize international resources to support the goals that Vietnam is pursuing,” he said.

The IESC Vice President also expressed his impression at the profound changes Vietnam has undergone over the past two decades, particularly its determination to promote digital transformation and modernize governance. He affirmed that IESC wishes to make a practical contribution to this process and hoped that, after several years of project implementation, the two sides would be able to see tangible results created together.

Welcoming IESC’s return to operations in Vietnam, Nguyen Ngoc Hung affirmed that the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations would continue to accompany and support the organization in implementing cooperation programs. Speaking highly of IESC’s new project in the agricultural sector, Nguyen Ngoc Hung said that the field is aligned with Vietnam’s development priorities. According to him, agriculture continues to play an important role in the economy, while the Government is promoting the development of modern, commercialized agriculture and improving the quality and competitiveness of agricultural products.

The Vice President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations emphasized that digital transformation in agriculture needs to reach farmers rather than remain limited to the management or business levels. Digital transformation will help improve forecasting capacity, strengthen market connectivity, and effectively address existing shortcomings.

According to Nguyen Ngoc Hung, alongside traditional areas such as poverty reduction, healthcare, education, and social welfare, Vietnam hopes that an increasing number of international organizations will provide support in policy development, capacity building, and knowledge transfer.

“To achieve the development goals for 2030 and 2045, Vietnam needs more partners that can share international experience, support the improvement of policies and standards, and strengthen institutional capacity. We expect IESC to be one of those partners,” Nguyen Ngoc Hung said.

Nguyen Ngoc Hung presents the Certificate of Registration for the establishment of the Representative Office in Vietnam to IESC. (Photo: Thanh Thao)

At the conclusion of the meeting, Nguyen Ngoc Hung presented the Certificate of Registration for the establishment of IESC’s Representative Office in Vietnam. The two sides agreed to continue close coordination in implementing the project while strengthening connections with US agencies, businesses, and organizations to expand cooperation programs in support of Vietnam’s sustainable development.

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