Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks spoke with UK Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Defence David Williams yesterday via phone to discuss a range of bilateral defense issues.
The Deputy Secretary and Permanent Secretary discussed the upcoming U.S.-UK Defense Dialogue, which will be held at the Pentagon later this year.
Deputy Secretary Hicks also expressed strong support for a successful conclusion of the ongoing UK-Mauritius British Indian Ocean Territory negotiations.
The Deputy Secretary and Permanent Secretary reaffirmed the importance of ongoing support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression, and the importance of multilateral cooperation to expeditiously address Ukraine's pressing security assistance requirements.
They also discussed the urgent need to dramatically increase humanitarian assistance delivery to Gaza, and the imperative to prevent the conflict in Gaza from escalating into regional conflict.
Finally the Deputy Secretary and Permanent Secretary discussed the trilateral AUKUS partnership, including the announcements made under the AUKUS Defense Ministers' Joint Statement on April 8.
Deputy Secretary Hicks and Permanent Secretary Williams pledged their commitment to continued cooperation aimed at deepening the U.S.-UK defense and security relationship.
