WASHINGTON, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis on Thursday met with his British counterpart Gavin Williamson at the Pentagon to discuss bilateral cooperation on issues of global concern.
According to a statement provided by Defense Department spokesperson Dana White, Mattis and Williamson discussed the U.S. National Defense Strategy released last month and international security topics including the anti-IS effort, Afghanistan, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Iran.
They also discussed priorities for the upcoming NATO Defense Ministers' meeting in Brussels.
Mattis emphasized the value of the bilateral "special relationship," and reaffirmed the importance of credible defense capabilities. He also welcomed the release of Britain's forthcoming Modernising Defence Programme.
The two leaders agreed to continue their dialogue on shared security interests and the bilateral defense agenda.
