Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis will embark on Saturday, Aug. 19, to re-affirm the enduring U.S. commitment to strategic partnerships in the Middle East and Europe.
Secretary Mattis will begin his engagements in Jordan on Monday, Aug. 21, meeting with His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Lieutenant General Mahmoud Freihat. The secretary will express U.S. appreciation for Jordanian efforts to combat ISIS, and re-affirm U.S. commitment to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Jordan in facing regional and global challenges. This is the secretary's first trip to Jordan during his tenure.
On Wednesday, Aug. 23, Secretary Mattis visits Turkey to meet with Minister of National Defense Nurettin Canikli, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlut Çavusoğlu and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Secretary Mattis will emphasize the steadfast commitment of the United States to Turkey as a NATO ally and strategic partner, seek to collaborate on efforts to advance regional stability, and look for ways to help Turkey address its legitimate security concerns- including the fight against the PKK.
The secretary concludes his trip on Thursday, Aug. 24, with his first visit as Secretary of Defense to Kyiv, Ukraine. There, the secretary will meet with Minister of Defense Stepan Poltorak and President Petro Poroshenko. During these engagements, the secretary will reassure our Ukrainian partners that the U.S. remains firmly committed to the goal of restoring Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as strengthening the strategic defense partnership between our two countries.