Next meeting of 26 countries engaged in the fight against Islamic State in February

Next meeting of 26 countries engaged in the fight against Islamic State in February

The United States has invited the Defence Ministers of the 26 countries of the coalition fighting against self-styled Islamic State, to Brussels “in three weeks,” so as to strengthen their initiatives the American Secretary of State Ashton Carter said on Wednesday. “All the coalition countries should come and be ready to discuss new contributions,” Mr Carter stated on Wednesday, at the end of a session where seven coalition ministers had met.

His French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian, added that a new meeting of the seven ministers who met in Paris may soon follow in London.

The coalition particular needs to strengthen the reinforcement of the Gulf states, Mr Carter emphasised. “The region's countries can and should make a critical contribution to the success of the campaign” [against the group Islamic State]. “It is for that reason that we have agreed to organise this larger meeting in a few weeks,” Mr Carter explained.

“We are desperately seeking the will of the Gulf states to do more (...) whether military or non-military action. There are many things which they might do, not only to conquer the Islamic State group, but also to consolidate security in the region,” said the American Secretary of State for Defence.

(Source: Belga)


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