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Immediate Release

Readout of Secretary Mattis' Meeting with French Minister of Defense Florence Parly

Pentagon Chief Spokesperson Dana W. White provided the following readout:

 

Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis met with French Minister of Defense Florence Parly today during the Munich Security Conference.

 

Secretary Mattis and Minister Parly agreed on the need for a strong stance against the threat posed by the Iranian ballistic missile program and the need to address Iran's proliferation of ballistic missiles to terrorists and militants.  Secretary Mattis thanked Minister Parly for French leadership in counter-terrorism operations in Africa and the Levant, which have been critical for restoring stability. He reiterated the global coalition must remain focused on the Defeat-ISIS fight and keep pressure on the remnants of the terrorist organization to ensure they do not regroup.  Secretary Mattis also stressed that a strong Europe is a better security partner, but that the EU defense initiatives should complement, not compete with NATO. 

 

Secretary Mattis thanked Minister Parly for France's contributions to global security, and the two leaders agreed to continue strengthening U.S.-French defense cooperation.