An official website of the United States Government 
Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov

.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Mattis, Australian Defense Minister Confer in Brussels

You have accessed part of a historical collection on defense.gov. Some of the information contained within may be outdated and links may not function. Please contact the DOD Webmaster with any questions.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis expressed his admiration of the high-performing troops of the Australian armed forces during a meeting with his Australian counterpart, Defense Department spokesperson Navy Cmdr. Sarah Higgins said.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis meets with Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne ahead of a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of a defense ministerial at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Feb. 16, 2017. DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis meets with Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne ahead of a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of a defense ministerial at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Feb. 16, 2017. DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis meets with Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne ahead of a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of a defense ministerial at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Feb. 16, 2017. DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley
Mattis Meets With Australian Defense Minister
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis meets with Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne ahead of a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of a defense ministerial at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Feb. 16, 2017. DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley
Photo By: Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley
VIRIN: 170216-D-GO396-0641

Mattis and Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne met on the margins of a meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels of defense ministers from countries participating in the campaign to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, Higgins said.

Mattis is on a multiday trip to Europe to meet with international partners in the counter-ISIS campaign and is scheduled to speak at the Munich Security Conference in Germany today.

The defense secretary also thanked the minister for the long-term alliance and friendship between the U.S and Australia’s military and people, she said. This was the first meeting between an Australian cabinet official and a member of the new U.S. administration, the commander noted.

Efforts to Defeat ISIS

The two leaders discussed efforts to defeat ISIS in the Middle East and around the globe, as well as the ‎importance of continued support to the government of Afghanistan, Higgins said.

They also exchanged views on ‎the Asia Pacific region, she added, and reaffirmed their commitment to force posture initiatives in northern Australia.

Mattis and Payne noted their commitment to NATO and to further strengthening defense cooperation between the U.S. and Australia, Higgins said. Both leaders, she added, are looking forward to the Australia-U.S. Ministerial Consultations to be hosted by Australia later this year.

Related Stories