Readout of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's Bilateral Meeting With El Salvador's Minister of Defense H.E. René Merino Monroy

Department of Defense Spokesman Sean Parnell provided the following readout:

On April 16, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had a productive bilateral meeting at the Pentagon with El Salvador's Minister of Defense, H.E. René Merino Monroy, to discuss U.S. national security interests and our countries' defense cooperation. Secretary Hegseth made clear that the Western Hemisphere is a top priority for the President and the Department of Defense. The Secretary praised El Salvador's impressive progress in pacifying foreign terrorist organizations as well as its commitment to increasing military capabilities to further cooperate with the United States on mutual defense priorities. Both the Secretary and the Minister committed to increasing and building upon existing bilateral cooperation between our militaries. The Secretary looks forward to further engagement with El Salvador for the mutual benefit of both our nations and our peoples.