WASHINGTON, Aug. 26, 2016 — Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met with the British defense chief, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, at the Pentagon today, Joint Staff spokesman Navy Capt. Greg Hicks said in a statement.

During his meeting with Peach, Dunford affirmed the U.S. commitment to a strong bilateral partnership with the United Kingdom, and highlighted the U.K.’s role in European security, Hicks said.

The chairman also emphasized the importance of the U.K.’s participation in counter-Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant operations, and expressed his appreciation for the U.K.’s work in countering violent extremism, Hicks added.