Readout provided by Pentagon Spokesperson Cmdr. Sarah Higgins:
Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates met Saturday in Abu Dhabi to discuss the strong and sustained U.S.-United Arab Emirates defense partnership. Their meeting follows the secretary's participation at the NATO Defense Ministerial and at the Munich Security Conference.
Secretary Mattis and the crown prince discussed a range of shared security threats, including the ongoing instability in Yemen and the way forward in the counter-ISIS campaign in Iraq and Syria. The secretary commended the UAE's troops for their effectiveness, and affirmed his commitment to working with the UAE to counter terrorism and defend freedom of navigation around the Arabian Peninsula.
Both leaders agreed on the importance of the U.S.-UAE strategic partnership and look forward to deepening bilateral cooperation.