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IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper met today with Australia’s Minister for Defense Linda Reynolds at Victoria Barracks in Sydney, Australia.
The two leaders affirmed the strong defense relationship between Australia and the United States and committed to deepen cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and around the globe. The secretary expressed appreciation for Australia’s continued participation in the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, as well as to coalition operations in Iraq and Syria. He promised close consultation on the way ahead in the Middle East, as well continued enforcement of United Nations Security Council Resolutions regarding North Korea. Minister Reynolds expressed appreciation for close collaboration on emerging priorities, including critical minerals and development and fielding of hypersonic weapons. She noted the achievement of the 2,500-Marine milestone in the Force Posture Initiatives and the shared desire to mature the initiatives over the next phase.
Both leaders look forward to deepening their friendship and advancing bilateral defense cooperation into the next century of Mateship.