(credit: defense.gouv.fr) French Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly
By Gary Raynaldo DIPLOMATIC TIMES
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin and France’s Armed Forces Minister Pledged Cooperation in fighting terrorism in the troubled AFRICA Sahel region. The two high-ranking defense officials spoke by telephone Thursday reinforce the importance of the strategic alliance between the U.S. and France, according a Department of Defense spokesperson. Last January 2020, France appealed to then-President Trump not to cut off U.S. military support to French forces fighting Islamist militants in Africa, warning that it could undermine efforts to counter a growing terrorist threat in the Sahel region. France has some 5,100 troops in the Sahel with the U.S. providing much-needed intelligence, logistic and drone support.
“Great first talk with Secretary Austin. We discussed Sahel, Levant, NATO, Indopacific, cyber and space. France and the US are not only the oldest allies, we’re also outstanding operational partners.”
-French Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly
1er entretien téléphonique avec @SecDef Austin. De nombreux sujets prioritaires : Sahel, Levant, Indopacifique, OTAN, coopération sur l'espace et cyber. La France et les Etats-Unis ne sont pas seulement des alliés historiques, ce sont des partenaires opérationnels exceptionnels.
— Florence Parly (@florence_parly) January 28, 2021
The Secretary and the Minister discussed a range of issues, including security and stability in Africa, the need for continued vigilance against terrorism, the pandemic, and the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as the broader Middle East. They also discussed shared interests in the Indo-Pacific region, according to U.S. DOD spokesperson.
U.S. And France To Bolster NATO Deterrence, TransAtlantic Link
(credit: Wikipedia) U.S. Secretary of Defense Gen. Lloyd Austin
“The Secretary thanked the Minister for France’s leadership on global security and defense issues, and said he looks forward to continued dialogue in the future as the United States and France work together to strengthen NATO deterrence and deepen the transatlantic link.”
-U.S. Department of Defense
Secretary of Defense Austin Confers with German Minister of Defence Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer
Bundesministerin der Verteidigung Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer im Porträt in der Säulenhalle im Bendlerblock am zweiten Dienstsitz des BMVg in Berlin am 20.09.2019. (bmvg.de)
Secretary of Defense Austin spoke by phone Wednesday with German Minister of Defence Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer to reinforce the value the U.S. places on the bilateral defense relationship with “one of our closest NATO Allies.” Just three days into his new job, General Austin has reached out to several of his European defense counterparts to begin restoring the Trans-Atlantic relationship with NATO allies that was seriously damaged after four years of fiercely anti-NATO ‘America First’ policy under former President Trump. In particular, there was a widely known strain between Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel culminating with the American president’s action to pull out 10,000 U.S. troops in Germany. The move by Trump sent shockwaves throughout the NATO alliance. The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly last Friday to confirm retired Gen. Austin to become America’s first Black defense secretary in charge of the behemoth Pentagon.
