Department of Defense spokesperson Lt. Col. Martin Meiners provided the following readout.
The Honorable Dr. Mara Karlin, Performing the Duties of Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, concluded her visit to Djibouti today.
Dr. Karlin met with United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) and Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa leadership to discuss regional security issues.
On August 17, Dr. Karlin and AFRICOM commander Gen. Michael Langley met with President of Djibouti Ismail Omar Guelleh to reaffirm the strength of the U.S.-Djibouti defense relationship. Karlin and Langley thanked President Guelleh for hosting U.S. forces for the last 20 years in furtherance of shared security interests.
The two leaders discussed opportunities for the Department of Defense and Djibouti to strengthen cooperation and enable a more secure and prosperous East Africa.