Travel

At the request of USSOUTHCOM Commander ADM Craig Faller, our delegation met with officials to gain a fuller understanding of Panama’s business environment and the security issues shaping US-Panama relations. The itinerary featured private discussions with Panama’s president, ministers of Foreign Affairs and Public Security, the Panama Canal Authority, the Colon Free Trade Zone, and US and local business leaders operating in country. The visit provided valuable insights on challenges such as US competitiveness, especially among state-owned enterprises, as well as China’s aggressive economic expansion into Central and South America. 

A delegation of BENS members traveled to Colombia and El Salvador, garnering a firsthand assessment of the major issues affecting Central and South America and their impact on US national security. The delegation focused much of their time meeting with senior government and civilian officials, to include Colombian President Ivan Duque Marquez. Among the highlights of the itinerary was a day trip to the Colombian-Venezuelan border to examine humanitarian and security challenges of increased migration into Colombia.

With US European Command (EUCOM) headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany a frequent stop for international BENS engagements, our visit in 2019 built on the strength of previous trips there in recent years. Areas of focus for 2019 included the 2% target for defense spending among NATO member nations, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) treaty, France's military interventions against ISIS in Mali, Polish support for increased US arms sales, Russia-Ukraine relations, and European dependence on Russian energy and the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

A delegation of BENS members traveled to South Korea in January 2018 to gain an understanding of the US-South Korean strategic relationship and to better understand the tensions between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (ROK). The group met with US Forces Korea (USFK) Commander General Vincent Brooks, USFK Senior Advisor for North Korea, Syd Seller, US Ambassador Harris, and leaders of the East Asia Institute. Members also toured the DMZ and visited its famous ‘Blue House,’ where they held an office call with Kwon Hee-Seog, Secretary to the President for National Security Strategy. On the last day, the delegation received a VIP tour of the Korea Defense Expo with Hanwha Defense.

A BENS delegation visited Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in 2018 to examine the economic and security issues shaping US relations with these nations. Areas of focus included foreign direct investment, economic development plans for the region, the Middle East peace process, and countering violent extremism. The group toured THAAD and Patriot missile batteries, Al Udeid Air Base, Al Dhafra Air Base, and US Air Force Central Command. The itinerary included meetings with important government officials, including ministers of defense, economy, foreign affairs, and energy, as well as executives of several large companies located in the region.