Readout of the Counter-ISIS Defense Ministerial
Feb. 16, 2017

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

Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis met with defense ministers from 27 nations participating in the C-ISIS campaign. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed ministers and listened to the discussion, which also included senior representatives from seven coalition nations whose ministers were unable to attend.

The meeting focused on the counter-ISIS campaign in Iraq and Syria including an update on the current military plan through 2017. Secretary Mattis welcomed feedback from his counterparts on the campaign plan. The secretary thanked his counterparts for their countries’ contributions to the campaign and enjoined them to continue working together to improve the efficiency and efficacy of the campaign, thereby speeding the demise of ISIS.

Ministers agreed to meet again in the Fall of 2017 to discuss the state of the campaign and consider additional adjustments based on the changing environment and other lessons learned.