Pompeo, Mattis meet with Australian officials at Stanford to discuss global security

STANFORD, Calif. (KTVU) - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary James Mattis spoke about key foreign affairs issues at Stanford University with Australian officials at the Australia – U.S. Ministerial Consultations, known as the AUSMIN summit.

Pompeo called Australia one of America’s best friends and greatest allies. He spoke alongside Mattis and their Australian counterparts, Minister of Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop and Minister of Defense Marise Payne.

“We have already established a close working relationship with the Trump administration right from the outset,” Bishop said.

The secretaries and ministers said their summit focused on peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. They also spoke about middle east conflicts, cyber threats, and the denuclearization of North Korea. The AUSMIN summit wrapped up just as Pompeo is set to testify before Congress on Wednesday about President Trump’s recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I am looking forward to testifying tomorrow,” Pompeo said. “I will testify about a lot of things, including the relationship between the United States and Russia, but I think one of the things that gets lost is the determination that this administration has had pushing back against Russia maligned behavior around the world. It is unequaled in the history of the United States.”

As the officials spoke, protestors gathered outside of the Hoover Institution to speak out against President Trump’s foreign affairs policies.

“We think Pompeo and Mattis are just complicit because Trump is just endangering us all,” Steve Rapport, with Indivisible SF, said. “He’s threatening war via tweet.”

Defense Secretary Mattis addressed the tweet from President Trump on Sunday night where he warned Iran not to threaten the U.S.

“It’s time for Iran to shape up and show responsibility as a responsible nation,” Mattis said. “I think the president was making clear that they are one the wrong track.”

Both Australia and the U.S. said their relationship is strong enough to endure any challenges ahead.

“We don’t always agree with the United States and the United States doesn’t always agree with us, but we are able to work through any differences in a constructive and positive way and we’ll continue to do that,” Bishop said.

The 2019 AUSMIN summit will be held in Australia.