Defense Secretary James N. Mattis and U.S. Department of State officials hosted a regional security roundtable at the Pentagon Aug. 29 with representatives from the Gulf Cooperation Council states -- Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman -- along with Egypt, Jordan and Morocco.

In a statement summarizing the meeting, chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana W. White said Mattis discussed a broad range of security issues with the diplomatic and defense officials.

The secretary thanked the group for their regional leadership and years of close cooperation with the United States, White said.

The representatives discussed working together against common security challenges, and agreed to reconvene in the coming months to continue discussions on shared strategic objectives and regional challenges, she said.