U.S., Poland mull strengthening bilateral defense cooperation

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Polish Defense Minister Tomasz Siemoniak met Tuesday at the Pentagon and discussed the Solidarity and Partnership Program, which serves as a roadmap for bilateral defense cooperation, said a statement of the U.S. Defense Department.

Both leaders expressed their pleasure that the Aegis Ashore missile defense site in Redzikowo, Poland, is moving forward on schedule, said the statement.

Carter discussed how European Reassurance Initiative funds are being used to increase training and exercises, including with Special Operation Forces, and to improve infrastructure, and may eventually be used to temporarily preposition training equipment in Europe, according to the statement.

In addition to continuing U.S. Air Force rotations at Lask Air Base in Poland and other exercises and training activities under U. S. European Command's Operation Atlantic Resolve, the U.S. presence at Multinational Corps Northeast in Szczecin was also discussed, the statement said.

In addition, critical security issues, including Russia-Ukraine crisis and U.S. and NATO activities in Poland, were among the topics of discussion during the meeting between Carter and Siemoniak, according to the statement.

The two leaders discussed the importance of cooperation, bilaterally and as part of NATO, to reassure allies and strengthen NATO deterrence, the statement added. They also talked about critical security issues, including Russia-Ukraine crisis and U.S. and NATO activities in Poland. Endite