Deputy Secretary of Defense spokesperson Cmdr. Sarah Higgins provided the following readout:

Deputy Secretary of Defense Pat Shanahan met with Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre today in the Pentagon.

Deputy Secretary Shanahan reinforced the United States' strong support for defeating al-Shabaab and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). He also noted the United States' support for the Somali government as they work through the difficult decisions in implementing the National Security Architecture agreed to at the London Somalia Conference in May of this year. The leaders discussed efforts to prevent terrorists from using Somalia as a safe haven.

Both leaders emphasized the importance of maintaining pressure on regional terrorist groups through the African Union Mission in Somalia and Somali National forces, as well as the importance of political progress in securing lasting stability.