On the sidelines of the annual Manama Dialogue, the U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III held separate meetings with Indonesian Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto and Malaysian Minister of Defense Hishammuddin Hussein on November 20 in Manama, Bahrain.
During his meeting with Malaysia’s Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, the U.S. secretary of defense congratulated Malaysia’s Hishammuddin on his recent appointment as Minister of Defense. Both sides discussed the defense partnership between the U.S. and Malaysia and welcomed closer cooperation between the two countries.
According to the Department of Defense statement, the U.S. secretary of defense “reiterated his support for a strong and enduring U.S.-Malaysia partnership” and highlighted that the strategic partnership between the two countries is “strengthened by shared democratic values and principles.”
The U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also met with Indonesia’s Defense Minister Defense Prabowo Subianto in Manama. During the meeting, Secretary discussed the regional security environment and bilateral exercises, and security cooperation between the United States and Indonesia.
Secretary Austin reaffirmed the U.S. policy “championing a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific that upholds international law and is based on shared principles,” the Department of Defense statement read.
The U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also reiterated the United States’ support for Indonesian leadership in the region and the importance of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for upholding regional peace and stability.
Secretary Austin is participating in the 17th annual IISS Manama Dialogue in Bahrain. The Manama Dialogue holds important diplomatic and security summits that are organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
