Department of Defense Spokesman Lt. Col. Garron Garn, USMC, provided the following readout:
Today, Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Ms. Amanda Dory, met with the civilian and military leadership of Côte d'Ivoire to discuss ways the United States and Côte d'Ivoire can strengthen their bilateral defense relationship. Ms. Dory reaffirmed the U.S. ongoing commitment to support Côte D'Ivoire and other West African countries in preventing the spread of violent extremist organizations (VEOs). Ms. Dory also expressed the need for a regional approach to ensuring security and stability and discussed the benefits of the State Partnership Program, which Côte d'Ivoire was recently selected.
During the engagement, Ms. Dory met with Ivorian Minister of Defense Téné Birahima Ouattara, the Chief of the President's Military Caninet Fidéle Sarassoro and other senior security staff. Ms. Dory and Minister Ouattara agreed on the need to improve security sector governance; to develop a whole of government approach to building security and stability; to bolster maritime security; and to improve civil-military relations. They also acknowledged the threat that disinformation from malign actors presents to both countries and discussed how to work together against it. Ms. Dory noted the Department of Defense remains committed supporting the Ivorian security services in its modernization and expansion to meet the VEO threat. Minister Ouattara shared his perspective on regional security, and how Côte d'Ivoire and other Coastal West African countries can best counter the threat of VEOs emanating from the Sahel.