Secretary of Defense James Mattis met with Italian Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti to discuss the robust U.S. - Italian defense partnership, our cooperation at NATO, and our joint efforts in Afghanistan, the Middle East and Libya. ‎

Specifically, Secretary Mattis thanked Italy for their hospitality toward the more than 30,000 U.S. forces, civilians, and family members based in Italy and for Italy's superior support and cooperation in addressing security threats in the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and Africa. He also applauded their leadership in the Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan, and in the D-ISIS fight, particularly the important role Italian Carabinieri are undertaking to train Iraqi police. The two leaders also discussed the importance of their nations' close cooperation in bringing stability to Libya and are planning for further engagement in that endeavor.