- WASHINGTON: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of the first US special envoy to Myanmar and a new ambassador to Vietnam whose appointment had been blocked for months by lawmakers.
The two appointments were approved by unanimous consent late Tuesday before Congress entered its summer recess. They are key to President Barack Obama's policy of trying to deepen US engagement with Southeast Asia.
As special representative and policy coordinator for Myanmar, Derek Mitchell will lead Washington's efforts to reach out to the country's dominant military-dominated government and encourage democratic reform.