Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman provided the following readout:

Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper met with Iraqi Minister of Defense Najah al-Shammary today in Baghdad to reaffirm the strategic security partnership between the United States and the Government of Iraq.

The leaders discussed the continued strength of the D-ISIS Coalition in Iraq and examined ways to strengthen the bilateral security partnership between the United States and Iraq.

The Secretary conveyed his concern over violence in recent protests and reiterated the need to protect the ability of people to protest peacefully.

Secretary Esper commended the sacrifices of the Iraqi Security Forces in the fight against ISIS and signaled his appreciation for Iraq’s continued support to U.S. and Coalition forces.