The Americas: Hagel to Attend Ministers’ Conference on South America Trip

Oct 8, 2014 | Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr., US Department of Defense
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WASHINGTON – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will attend the 11th Conference of the Defense Ministers of the Americas during a six-day, three-country trip to Latin America that begins tomorrow.

Hagel’s first stop will be Colombia where he will reinforce U.S.-Colombian defense ties in meetings with leaders there.

“Colombia continues to expand its role as a security exporter across the region,” Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporters, “and Secretary Hagel will underscore the United States’ continued support for these efforts, as well as Colombia’s internal counterinsurgency operations as the government pursues a peace process.”

Kirby said Hagel will also seek new avenues for future security cooperation and visit a Colombian military base to observe training for Colombian special forces and aviators.