21 October 2016, 13:32 GMT
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) armed forces Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan discussed during a meeting in Abu Dhabi the campaign to retake Iraq’s city of Mosul from the Daesh, the US Department of Defense said in a press release on Monday.
"Secretary Carter and the crown prince began the meeting with a discussion of the campaign against the Islamic State and the battle for Mosul," the release stated.
Additionally, they agreed to deepen bilateral defense ties and focus on countering terrorism, the Defense Department noted.
The meeting came as the military campaign to liberate Mosul entered its second week.
UAE troops are not taking part in the operation, but the government has trained Iraqi fighters and pledged $50 million for reconstruction and stabilization efforts after Mosul is freed from Islamic State control.
