WASHINGTON, July 7, 2017 — Defense Secretary Jim Mattis met with British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon at the Pentagon today to discuss bilateral defense issues, NATO, the campaign to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, and the situations in Afghanistan and North Korea.
In a statement summarizing the meeting, chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana W. White said Mattis lauded the value of the close security partnership between the United States and the United Kingdom.
"He thanked Secretary Fallon for his country's sustained leadership in NATO as a framework nation for enhanced forward presence and close collaborator on modernization efforts to strengthen the alliance," she said.
Appreciation
Mattis also expressed his appreciation to Fallon for the recent decision to add more troops in Afghanistan and for sharing views to inform the U.S. national defense strategy, White said.
"The two leaders pledged to continue their dialogue on shared security interests and the U.S.-U.K. bilateral defense agenda," she added.