The United States warmly welcomed Luxembourg Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Francois Bausch to Washington with a high-level meeting at the Pentagon. Minister Bausch’s visit, which will include a series of meetings with U.S. officials, exemplifies the close bond between the United States and Luxembourg as we continue to build on our strong defense relationship following the meeting of Minster Bausch with Secretary of Defense Mark Esper at the 75th Annual of the Battle of the Bulge Commemoration here in Luxembourg.
The highlight of the visit was the signing of two important arrangements on January 14 that will expand on our defense cooperation in the field of space. The first is a Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation in Safety of Spaceflight and the Provision of Space Situational Awareness Services and Information. The second is an agreement to Terms of Reference for the Space Cooperation Working Group. Minister Bausch signed these arrangements with U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy John Rood at the conclusion of a great meeting focused on our growing cooperation
These agreements directly build upon the Memorandum of Understanding on Space Cooperation signed in May between U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and Luxembourg Deputy Prime Minister Etienne Schneider. Collectively, the agreements create opportunities for us to work together to grow ambitiously our space industries and seek breakthroughs that will benefit Luxembourg and the United States for generations to come.
The week will also highlight the shared history between our nations. Defense Minister Bausch will visit and lay a wreath at the Battle of the Bulge Monument, donated and dedicated at the Arlington National Cemetery in 2006 on behalf of the grateful people of Belgium and Luxembourg. As we look forward to the future, and our countries join together to explore new frontiers, we remain rooted in the shared past that brought our countries together in the most trying times.”
