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

Deputy Secretary of Defense Pat Shanahan met with Ugandan Minister of Defense Adolf Mwesige in Vancouver, Canada at the 2017 U.N. Peacekeeping Defense Ministerial yesterday.

Secretary Shanahan recognized that Uganda has been in Somalia for 10 years and thanked Minister Mwesige for his country's contribution to security there. He also acknowledged those Ugandan lives lost in Somalia. He expressed his understanding of the frustration with the pace of progress in Somalia but also his confidence that progress is being made.

The leaders discussed how to best help the Horn of Africa move forward toward stability in Somalia. The U.S. Department of Defense continues to support Ugandan forces in Somalia with equipment including Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles and five new Huey-2 helicopters, which were delivered yesterday.

Both leaders confirmed the importance of continued collaboration between DoD and the Ugandan Ministry of Defense in advancing regional security in East Africa.