A bicameral congressional delegation led by Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley will visit Vietnam this weekend, with the aim of advancing both bilateral relations and multilateral ties with ASEAN member states.

Aside from Vietnam, the U.S. bicameral congressional delegation will visit Indonesia on this eight-day Southeast Asian trip, during which they will join over 35 meetings with top government officials, ASEAN leaders, and some other organizations, according to a press release posted on the website of Senator Merkley on Wednesday.

Coping with wartime legacy

Joining Merkley, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, are Senator Chris Van Hollen and Representatives Pramila Jayapal, Lloyd Doggett, and Ilhan Omar.

“Vietnam and Indonesia are critical partners to the U.S., and only together will we be able to tackle the multifaceted challenges of this century,” said Senator Merkley. 

“Our trip will be an opportunity to strengthen not only relationships between our governments but also between the people of our countries,” he added.

In Vietnam, the delegation will examine the painful wartime legacy, including projects that seek to remediate dioxin from Agent Orange, clear land mines, and account for both U.S. and Vietnamese prisoners of war and soldiers missing in action.

Visiting Mekong Delta region

During this trip, the delegation will visit one locality in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam to better understand how climate chaos is impacting local communities and ecosystems.

Earlier, Merkley and Alaska’s Senator Dan Sullivan also introduced a bipartisan resolution to bring awareness to the environmental, humanitarian, and economic issues facing the Mekong River.

In addition, Senators Merkley and Hollen on April 3 also introduced a resolution reaffirming the U.S. support for ASEAN.

“The U.S.’ close relationship with our ASEAN partners plays a key role in our foreign affairs, as well as our nations’ mutual priorities of promoting economic growth, regional stability, climate solutions, and more," said Senator Hollen.

“As the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific, I’m committed to continuing to strengthen these partnerships.” 

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