Readout Statement of Minister Sajjan’s Meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense, James Mattis

Statement

May 24, 2018, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

The Secretary of Defence (SECDEF) and Minister of National Defence (MND) enjoyed a fruitful discussion that covered a number of topics.

They began their discussion by expressing the importance of continued engagement on trade related matters.

The MND noted the importance the NORAD relationship, Canada's commitment to continental defence, especially in the context of the growing range of current and future all domain threats. In this context, he noted Canada's commitment to investments in Strong Secure Engaged (SSE) - Canada's Defence Policy.

The SecDef also spoke about the need for Canada and other Allies to continue to increase defence spending. MND noted the significant investments in SSE and also that additional investment related to NORAD modernization would be coming in future years, news that was welcomed by SecDef. The MND and SecDef also discussed the importance of the leadership roles both countries are playing in enhanced Forward Presence, NATOs reinforcement of the Baltic States.

The MND and SecDef also discussed a number of developments related to security on the Korean Peninsula, and the importance of working together to enforce sanctions and supporting diplomatic negotiations.

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Contacts

Byrne Furlong
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of National Defence
Phone: 613-996-3100
Email: byrne.furlong@forces.gc.ca

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