Defense Secretary James N. Mattis departs tomorrow for a trip to reaffirm key partnerships and alliances in Europe.
Mattis will begin his trip Feb. 12-13 in Rome, conducting bilateral meetings with senior officials, including Italian Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti, Pentagon officials said in a statement announcing the trip.
Feb. 14-15, Mattis will be in Brussels to attend 2018’s first conference of NATO defense ministers. He will engage with allies to discuss how to strengthen the alliance and forge new partnerships, ensure that the alliance is fit for its time, and to how to deter or defeat threats NATO faces, officials said.
He then will travel to Stuttgart, Germany, to visit with the leadership and troops of U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command during a visit to their respective headquarters Feb. 15-16.
Mattis will conclude his trip Feb. 16-17 in Munich to participate in the 54th Munich Security Conference, where he will discuss current crises and future challenges in European security policy, officials said.