Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout:
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met with his Canadian counterpart, Minister of National Defence Anita Anand, on the margins of the Halifax International Security Forum, today.
The two leaders discussed the release of the Department of Defense’s 2022 National Defense Strategy, Canada’s forthcoming Indo-Pacific Strategy, cooperation to counter Russian aggression against Ukraine, our close collaboration in support of Haiti, and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) modernization.
The two leaders reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine, pledging to continue providing assistance to strengthen Ukraine’s security and sovereignty over the long term. They also reaffirmed the importance of our nations’ investment in modern, ready, and capable forces, steps to advance NORAD modernization, and close coordination on a range of other bilateral and global issues.