Senator Jeff Merkley. (Photo: Minh Quan)

Head of the delegation, Senator Jeff Merkley, said with the mission to heal the wounds of war, the delegation will work with affected localities to help address the harmful legacy of Agent Orange, remove unexploded ordnance, search and identify fallen soldiers, and support children disabled as a result of war. 

He said the US and Vietnam have become important partners and the US is seeking opportunities to strengthen cooperation in trade, economics, investment, climate change response, and security.

Senator Merkley added that the delegation will visit the Mekong Delta which is vulnerable to climate change. 

Senator Chris Van Hollen said the US Congress is pushing up the US’s contribution of 300 million USD to remediate dioxin contamination at Vietnam’s Bien Hoa airport.

He said the US-Vietnam comprehensive partnership has yielded many achievements over the past 10 years and an early upgrade of bilateral ties is of great significance.