Secretary of Defense Spokesperson Cmdr. Gary Ross provided the following readout:
Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis had an introductory meeting today with Malaysian Minister of Defense Hishammuddin Tun Hussein on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore to discuss security challenges and our strong bilateral defense cooperation.
They exchanged views on regional security challenges and emphasized the need for continued ASEAN unity to address shared security challenges facing Southeast Asia. They discussed the need to increase counterterrorism cooperation in order to stem the threat posed by groups like ISIS both in the region and globally. They also highlighted the need for regional maritime security cooperation.
Secretary Mattis relayed his appreciation for the broad range of U.S.-Malaysia security cooperation and encouraged Malaysia's valued contributions to regional security. They emphasized continued cooperation and exercises to address common security challenges.