Lloyd J. Austin III Secretary of Defence | Official website
Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout:
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III hosted NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the Pentagon today. The meeting commenced a week of events marking the 75th Anniversary NATO Summit in Washington, DC.
Secretary Austin emphasized the progress NATO has made in strengthening its deterrence and defense capabilities and expressed gratitude to Secretary General Stoltenberg for his leadership during one of the most challenging periods in NATO's history.
The leaders discussed key items on the Summit agenda, including advancing NATO's new family of plans, ensuring ongoing support for Ukraine, and fortifying the transatlantic defense industrial base. They also addressed the necessity of sustaining increased defense spending to fully resource NATO's plans.
Secretary Austin and Secretary General Stoltenberg reaffirmed their commitment to the Alliance's objectives and anticipated a successful 75th Anniversary Summit.
Following the meeting, Secretary Austin presented Secretary General Stoltenberg with the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service to honor his steadfast leadership over his ten-year tenure. This is the highest honor a Secretary of Defense can present to a non-U.S. citizen.
