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Immediate Release

Readout of Secretary Mattis' Meeting with German Minister of Defense Ursula von der Leyen

Pentagon Spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis provided the following readout:
 
Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis hosted German Minister of Defense Ursula von der Leyen at the Pentagon today to exchange perspectives on defense security issues with one of our closest allies.
 
The two leaders discussed the importance of the alliance between the United States and Germany, both bilaterally and as members of NATO. He thanked Minister von der Leyen for her country's leadership in NATO activities, and acknowledged the role that Germany plays in fighting terrorism, specifically in the counter-ISIL coalition. He also cited the strategic importance of Germany as the host to 35,000 U.S. personnel, the largest U.S. force presence in Europe.
 
Both look forward to working together at the NATO Defense Ministerial and Munich Security Conference next week.