Senator Reed to join Biden on trip to Asia

Washington, Jan.6 (ANI): Senator Jack Reed will accompany Vice President-elect Joe Biden this week on a tour of southwest Asia.

According to the Journal Washington, this will be Biden's last trip as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee before he takes over his new job on January 20.

"The purpose of this trip is fact-finding," Biden spokeswoman Elizabeth Alexander said in a statement announcing the trip - but withholding most details on security grounds.

The other members of the bipartisan Senate delegation are also well-traveled colleagues: Sen. John F. Kerry, the Massachusetts Democrat who will soon succeed Biden as foreign relations chairman; and Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Like Reed, both are members of the Armed Services Committee.

Alexander said details of the coming tour - including the countries the senators will visit - will not be released until it is under way. But several Asian news organizations have reported that Biden and the delegation from Capitol Hill will visit Pakistan.

"The fact-finding delegation will make it clear to foreign leaders that they are not there to speak on behalf of the U.S. government, or convey policy positions for the incoming administration," Alexander said, adding thanks from the senators to the Bush administration "for their cooperation in making this trip possible." (ANI)