This Saturday, Secretary Carter will depart Washington on a two-week travel to the Asia-Pacific region followed by the Middle East to advance two of his key international priorities: solidifying the rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region and accelerating the lasting defeat of ISIL. First in the Asia-Pacific, in both India and the Philippines, Secretary Carter will advance the United States growing security where we are developing new partnerships and modernizing long-standing alliances. In India, Secretary Carter will visit both Goa and Delhi at the host of Minister of Defense Parrikar. In the Philippines, Secretary Carter will visit Manila and a number of areas where the U.S. military is participating in the bilateral exercise BALIKATAN. In the Middle East, Secretary Carter will visit the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia for meetings with his counterparts. In Riyadh, Secretary Carter and Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammad bin Salman will convene a U.S. Gulf Cooperation Council defense ministerial ahead of President Obama's participation in the U.S.-GCC Leaders Summit. This will be an important forum to strengthen U.S.-GCC defense partnerships, including by reviewing and discussing the way ahead for the Counter-ISIL campaign and joint regional defense initiatives that we all committed to during the 2015 U.S.-GCC Camp David Summit last May.