Sen. Hirono Joins Delegation to South Korea & Vietnam
Sen. Mazie K. Hirono is joining eight of her colleagues on a bipartisan Congressional Delegation (CODEL) to Vietnam and South Korea, where she will meet government and military leaders during the April recess. The Delegation departed Washington on Sunday, April 14, and will arrive in Hawai‘i on Monday, April 22. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) is leading the Delegation.
In addition to Sens. Hirono and Leahy, Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) are also participating in Delegation.
In South Korea, the CODEL will meet with U.S. officials and military leaders and visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). During their meetings and briefings, the Delegation will discuss U.S.-South Korean trade and other bilateral issues, the U.S.-DPRK nuclear negotiations, and POWs/MIAs.
In Vietnam, the CODEL will meet with the President and General Secretary of Vietnam, the Vietnamese Minister of Defense, other Vietnamese government officials, and will visit the National Assembly. The Delegation will also meet with business leaders, nongovernmental organizations involved in clearing landmines and unexploded bombs, and university students.
The Delegation will conclude their trip in Hawai‘i, where they will receive briefings at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.