IMMEDIATE RELEASE
- News Release
- Release No: NR-170-19
Chief Pentagon Spokesman Jonathan R. Hoffman provided the following readout:
Acting Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper met with Afghan Acting Minister of Defense Asadullah Khalid on the margins of the NATO Defense Ministerial.
The leaders thanked each other for the sacrifices made by the service men and women of the United States and Afghanistan in their partnership to prevent Afghanistan from serving as a safe haven for terrorists who threaten the interests of the United States, Afghanistan or their partners and allies. Secretary Esper commended Minister Khalid's demonstrated leadership and the increased effectiveness of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces. They discussed the importance of maintaining the NATO Resolute Support Mission for the Afghan security forces, as well as their shared desire for a successful peace settlement potentially concluding the war in Afghanistan.
Secretary Esper reiterated the U.S. commitment to the longstanding partnership with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
