Deputy Secretary of Defense Spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Courtney Hillson provided the following readout:

Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work met with Dutch Minister of Defense Secretary-General Wim Geerts at the Pentagon today.

They discussed the strength of the U.S.-Dutch defense relationship; security environment in Europe and the Middle East; and comprehensive strategy and capabilities to degrade and destroy the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).    

They exchanged insights on sustaining robust military capabilities and noted the benefits of defense cooperation for both nations.  The deputy secretary thanked Geerts for the Netherlands' progress toward meeting the NATO target of two percent GDP spending on defense and for the Dutch contribution to joint NATO deterrence efforts.

Work and Geerts agreed to continue an in-depth dialogue on defense issues.‎