Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Andrew J. Shapiro completed a series of consultations with senior civilian and military officials in Yemen December 10-11 and Israel December 12-14, 2012.
In Yemen, Assistant Secretary Shapiro and General James Mattis, Commander of U.S. Central Command, led the U.S. delegation to the inaugural session of the U.S.-Yemen Political-Military Strategic Dialogue, which brought together civilian policymakers and defense and security officials for a broad discussion on assisting Yemenis in completing all the elements of the GCC agreement and moving successfully through the transition. The Dialogue covered U.S. support for a Yemeni-led transition initiative and a wide range of political-military issues, including security cooperation, counterterrorism, border security, and military restructuring. The successful conclusion of these consultations highlights our ongoing commitment to developing a broad, long-term cooperative relationship with Yemen.
In Israel, Assistant Secretary Shapiro met with senior officials on a wide range of political-military issues, including security cooperation, defense trade, and regional security issues to further strengthen Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge and expand the enduring strategic partnership.
