US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian said that the so-called Islamic State (IS/ISIL) is under “growing pressure on multiple fronts” in Iraq and Syria, as local forces backed by the international coalition make “progress” toward liberating Mosul and Raqqah.

A statement released by the Pentagon Monday night said the two leaders met for the fourth time in five months to discuss “he execution of the counter-ISIL coalition military campaign plan,” and also “acknowledged the significant results.” Carter and Le Drian also signed two agreements Monday, the Pentagon said.

The first is the Joint Statement of Intent, which illustrates how the US and France “have strengthened bilateral cooperation in recent years and identifies areas in which bilateral cooperation will continue to increase in years ahead,” while the second focused on “the military space cooperation arrangement [which] identifies opportunities for the two countries to work together in the space environment” over the next 10 years, the statement showed.

Source: kuna.net.kw