Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby provided the following readout:
On November 21, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and met with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to reaffirm the importance of the U.S.-UAE strategic partnership.
Secretary Austin thanked the UAE for its long-standing hospitality in hosting U.S. forces and 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 leaders discussed a range of shared security threats, including working together to increase regional defense and continuing to combat terrorism.