Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke by phone with President of Djibouti Ismail Omar Guelleh to reaffirm the strength of the U.S.-Djibouti defense partnership.
The Secretary reaffirmed the Defense Department’s commitment to the U.S.-Djibouti strategic partnership. He underscored the critical role Djibouti played in enabling the safe evacuation of American personnel from Sudan in April and expressed his appreciation to President Guelleh for his leadership as a strategic partner in the region.
The two leaders discussed opportunities for the Department of Defense and Djibouti to strengthen cooperation and enable a more secure and prosperous East Africa.