WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Ash Carter met with French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian today at Joint Base Andrews, Md., ahead of the latest meeting of defense ministers whose nations are part of the coalition to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said.
“[The defense secretary] offered his deepest condolences to the French people and government in the wake of last week's barbaric attack in Nice,” Cook said in a statement.
Accelerating ISIL’s Lasting Defeat
Carter went on to welcome France's recent announcement that it would intensify its support for the counter-ISIL campaign, Cook said, including the deployment of the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier to support coalition air operations. “The secretary emphasized that France's contributions would surely accelerate the retaking of Mosul and ISIL's lasting defeat,” he added.
The two defense leaders exchanged views on a range of additional global security challenges, the press secretary said, adding that Carter and Le Drian said that they look forward to working together in the future to promote stability and prosperity in the trans-Atlantic area and around the world.