Mattis Talks Regional Security at NATO Defense Ministers Meeting

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, right, speaks with U.S. Secretary for Defense Jim Mattis during a meeting of the North Atlantic Council at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2017. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and his NATO counterparts start two days of talks in Brussels looking to expand the military alliance’s command structure and drum up more troop contributions for Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

OAN Newsroom

Defense Secretary James Mattis joins other allied defense ministers in Brussels to assess and discuss the situation in North Korea and Afghanistan.
During the two day meeting, Mattis will decide whether to approve the North Atlantic Command.
The new regional base and its forces would focus on keeping Atlantic shipping lanes safe from enemy submarines.
Meanwhile, NATO’s chief says the alliance has been making significant progress adapting to the changing security landscape.
“Today, we will take decisions on the next steps in our deterrence and defense to ensure that we have a command structure fit for changing times, that we can reinforce our forces quickly and effectively, and that our cyber defenses are even more robust,” stated NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
The secretary general says the 29 member alliance will increase the number of troops in Afghanistan by next year in order to send a message to the Taliban.