WASHINGTON, Oct. 5, 2016 — Defense Secretary Ash Carter and two Australian government ministers met at the Pentagon today and discussed issues of mutual concern, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said. Carter held the bilateral meeting with Australia's Defense Minister Marise Payne and Defense Industry Minister Christopher Pyne, Cook said in a statement summarizing the meeting. 

The three leaders discussed their continued mutual commitment to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Cook said. “They exchanged views on security issues in the Asia-Pacific region, including the importance of building a principled and inclusive security network,” he added. “They also discussed opportunities for defense industry collaboration.”

In addition, the press secretary said, the three leaders welcomed the conclusion of negotiations over their approach to cost sharing for the force posture initiatives in northern Australia, and they emphasized the importance of that cooperation to the alliance.