Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met today with Ecuador's Minister of Defense, General Luis Eduardo Lara Jaramillo, at the 15th Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas (CDMA), the Western Hemisphere's biennial premier hemispheric ministerial for strategic-level engagement with defense and security officials in the Americas.
During their meeting, the two leaders reaffirmed their mutual commitment to the U.S.- Ecuador defense relationship and discussed efforts to enhance bilateral cooperation, including improving readiness and capacity to address regional threats and strengthening Ecuador's defense institutions. Secretary Austin thanked Minister Lara for Ecuador's leadership in addressing drug trafficking, organized crime, and related violence in the Andean region, and for Ecuador’s willingness to host the South American Defense Conference in the coming months.
The two leaders underscored their common values and security goals for the hemisphere and agreed to continue advancing the U.S.-Ecuador partnership.
Secretary Austin and Minister Lara closed the meeting by reiterating their commitment to build even more robust defense ties at an important time of growth in U.S.-Ecuador relations.