Sandoval in Israel on Nevada trade mission

CARSON CITY — Gov. Brian Sandoval and a group of Nevadans arrived in Jerusalem for a trade mission Friday.

Sandoval, in a prepared statement, said the mission will focus on three area where Nevada is similar to Israel: water technology, indoor agriculture and unmanned aerial vehicles.

He also has led trade missions to Mexico, Korea and China during his three years as governor.

The governor does not announce in advance many of his trips around the state and to other states and countries because of security concerns.

Upon their arrival in Jerusalem, the Nevada delegation took part in a traditional Shabbat dinner hosted by the Jewish Federation of Las Vegas.

“With similarly arid landscapes and complementary expertise in water resource technology and management, Israel and Nevada have already established a partnership that will help both of our states into the future,” he said.

“With Nevada’s System of Higher Education playing an important role, this trade mission will help to solidify Nevada’s presence in the world regarding water technology and will also introduce the opportunities for advancement in Nevada’s UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles and) indoor agriculture.

In 2012, Nevada exports to Israel totaled $129,054,837 and the state imported a total of $144,041,317 from Israel. Israel is Nevada’s tenth largest export/import country.

The delegation includes staff of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, as well as members of the higher education and business communities.

Contact Capital Bureau Chief Ed Vogel at evogel@reviewjournal.com, or 775-687-3901.