Remarks by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel at Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas, Arequipa, Peru

Thank you, Minister Cateriano, for hosting this gathering and welcoming us to Arequipa.  Since this forum was established more than two decades ago, it has served as an important venue for discussing major challenges facing our region, and finding ways to strengthen our defense cooperation.  

I am here today to underscore the United States’ commitment to partnering with the Americas…to maintain peace and…