Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis met with Norwegian Minister of Defense Frank Bakke-Jensen today at the Pentagon to reaffirm the long standing defense relationship between the United States and Norway.          

Secretary Mattis encouraged the minister to continue increasing Norway's defense spending. He thanked him for Norway's commitment to international security, including NATO's Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan and the Defeat-ISIS campaign. He also recognized Norway’s security leadership in the Nordic-Baltic region and the North Atlantic.

The secretary thanked the minister for improving interoperability and strengthening defense cooperation between both nations.