Creating greatly improved opportunities for real "advice" on the part of the Senate -- in particular via its new National Security Working Group (the successor to the Senate's Arms Control Observer Group), chaired by Senator Cochran -- during the crafting of negotiating positions and the conduct of the negotiations themselves.
Meanwhile, China, Burma and Russia were observer countries at the opening of the US and Thai-led Cobra Gold multi-national military exercises in Thailand on Monday, People's Net reports.