Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby provided the following readout:
On June 3, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke by phone with Qatar Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs, His Excellency Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah to reaffirm the strength of the U.S.-Qatar defense partnership.
Secretary Austin thanked Dr. Attiyah for Qatar’s continued hospitality in hosting U.S. forces in Qatar, and emphasized the value of the U.S. presence at Qatar’s Al-Udeid Air Base. He thanked Qatar for its support as the U.S. military continues its retrograde from Afghanistan, and for the important role it continues to play in advancing the Afghan peace process.
The two leaders also discussed shared interests in achieving regional security and stability.