WASHINGTON, April 11, 2018 — Defense Secretary James N.
Mattis met with Defense Minister Ank Bijleveld of the Netherlands at the
Pentagon today.
In a statement summarizing the meeting, Pentagon officials
said Mattis highlighted the value of the Netherlands to the United States and
NATO as a steadfast ally and its pledge to get to increase defense spending to
2 percent of its gross domestic product.
Increased Defense Spending
“Minister Bijleveld discussed the recent publication of the
Dutch Defense White Paper, and emphasized her government's $1.5 billion
increase in defense spending in 2018,” the statement said. “Secretary Mattis
commended the minister for her efforts to modernize her military and improve
military readiness.”
In addition, the statement said, Mattis also thanked
Bijleveld for continued support to the coalition to defeat the Islamic State of
Iraq and Syria and NATO missions, providing an enhanced forward presence battle
group in Lithuania, and Operation Resolute Support in Afghanistan.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment