Pentagon Spokesperson Eric Pahon provided the following readout:
Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan met with French Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly today at the NATO Defense Ministerial in Brussels, Belgium, to reaffirm the defense relationship between the United States and France.
The leaders discussed a broad range of defense issues, including continuing efforts to quickly implement 2018 NATO Summit deliverables and current operations in Afghanistan.
Secretary Shanahan acknowledged French priorities to expand space and cyber capabilities, and welcomed the opportunity for greater U.S.-French cooperation in both areas.
Minister Parly reiterated France’s appreciation for U.S. support to French efforts in the Sahel, and Secretary Shanahan commended French counter-terror efforts, describing the French-U.S. cooperation in the Sahel as a model of success that makes regional security possible, and the world safer.