U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison and U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis arrive for the second day of a NATO summit in Brussels, Belgium, July 12, 2018. Tatyana Zenkovich/Pool via REUTERS

ZAGREB (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Thursday that the United States fully supported NATO, saying it had emerged stronger from a two-day summit thanks to reforms and commitments made by allies to their common defense.

Asked about the U.S. commitment to NATO, Mattis said it was “exactly as the president described it: 100 percent committed to NATO.”

“... (NATO) is stronger today than it was yesterday, stronger today than it was a month ago, stronger today than it was a year ago,” Mattis said, in brief remarks to reporters traveling with him from Brussels to Croatia.