Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby provided the following readout:
On August 31, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke by phone with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to reaffirm the importance of the U.S.-UAE partnership and to discuss the situation in Afghanistan.
Secretary Austin conveyed his appreciation for the UAE’s instrumental role as a transit location as the U.S. military conducted the evacuation and retrograde mission from Afghanistan. The two leaders pledged to continue cooperation on shared regional security objectives.