Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper conducted a call today with French Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly. The Secretary and the Minister discussed a range of issues, including the surge of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh, security and stability in Africa, and the situations in Iraq and the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
On the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Secretary and the Minister agreed on the need for leaders from both Armenia and Azerbaijan to implement their commitments to an immediate ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh region and to a peaceful settlement.
The Secretary thanked the Minister for France’s leading role in fighting terrorism, and expressed hope more European nations will support French efforts in the Sahel.