Since his arrival in London yesterday, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has met with senior officials of U.S. allies to discuss security issues of mutual concern.
Today in London, Mattis met with Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım to discuss a range of bilateral security issues, according to chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana W. White.
U.S. Commitment to Turkey
The secretary reiterated to the Turkish minister America’s defense commitment to Turkey, a NATO ally, White said. Both leaders, she added, affirmed their support for peace and stability in Iraq and Syria.
Yesterday in London, Mattis met with his counterpart from the United Kingdom, British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon, White said.
The leaders discussed defense trade, defense posture issues, Afghanistan, NATO, and North Korea, she said.
Mattis also thanked Fallon for his country’s sustained leadership in NATO, acknowledged the U.K.’s increased defense spending and discussed opportunities to adapt the NATO alliance in response to increased threats, White said.
U.S.-British Partnership
The two leaders pledged to continue their dialogue on shared security interests and the U.S.-U.K. bilateral defense agenda, she added.
Mattis arrived in London after previous stops in Lithuania and Denmark, where he also met with U.S. partners and reaffirmed key military alliances.
In Vilnius, Lithuania, yesterday, Mattis reassured U.S. allies in the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia of American solidarity with them and of U.S. determination to defend Baltic and other NATO territory against any aggression.
Also in Lithuania, Mattis met with Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite and Estonian Defense Minister Margus Tsahkna, Latvian Defense Minister Raimonds Bergmanis and Lithuanian Defense Minister Raimundus Karobolis.
In Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital, which was the first stop of his trip, Mattis and the Danish defense minister co-hosted a meeting of senior leaders from 15 countries that are key contributors to the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.