Biden off to Chile

Vice President Joe Biden and his wife are traveling to Chile, where they will attend the inauguration of incoming president Michelle Bachelet, his office announced Sunday.

{mosads}Bachelet served as Chile’s president from 2006 through 2010. She will retake her job from Sebastian Pinera, who famously broke with White House protocol and sat behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office during a visit to the United States last year.

Biden’s office said the trip will “underscore the historically close ties between the United States and Chile.”

“During their bilateral meeting, the Vice President and President-elect Bachelet will discuss a broad range of issues, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership, multilateral cooperation, the Visa Waiver Program, and the President’s efforts to increase two-way student exchange in the region through the 100,000 Strong in the Americas initiative,” his office added.

Biden will meet with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia, Peruvian President Ollanta Humala and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico during the trip.

A trip to the Dominican Republic to meet with President Danilo Medino, originally schedule for this week, was cancelled, Biden’s office said, adding that the vice president looks forward to traveling there in the near future.