WASHINGTON, Nov. 3, 2017 — Defense Secretary Jim Mattis will depart Nov. 5 on a five-day trip to reaffirm key partnerships and alliances in Europe, a Defense Department spokesperson said today.
Army Lt. Col. Michelle L. Baldanza said Mattis will begin his engagements Nov. 6-7 in Helsinki at a meeting of the Northern Group, a multilateral forum of 12 countries: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
On Nov. 8-9, the defense secretary will attend a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels and, separately, host a meeting of ministers from the coalition to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. The trip will underscore the commitment of the United States to the NATO alliance and to defeating ISIS, Baldanza said.
Mattis will conclude his trip Nov. 10 with a visit to London, where he will meet with Britain’s new defense secretary, Gavin Williamson, who was appointed yesterday following the resignation of Michael Fallon.