Defense Secretary Leon Panetta hosted the Norwegian defense minister, Espen Barth Eide, this afternoon for their first official bilateral meeting. Panetta "noted that Norway is a strong ally and friend, and he praised Norway's decisive contributions to the war in Afghanistan and to last year's successful NATO operations in Libya," Pentagon spokesman George Little said in a statement, adding the two men discussed the new U.S. defense strategic guidance and bilateral defense cooperation issues, as well as ways of expanding the strong military partnership between the United States and Norway.
"Secretary Panetta affirmed the commitment of the United States to the NATO alliance and to the principles of smart defense," Little said. "He told his Norwegian counterpart that he looks forward to seeing him soon at upcoming NATO meetings in Brussels."