Washington, DC [US]: Marco Rubio, the newly sworn-in US Secretary of State, emphasized the Trump administration’s vision for US foreign policy, stating, “Anything that makes us stronger, safer, or more prosperous will be our mission, our job across the world.”
Speaking at his welcome ceremony on Tuesday (local time), Rubio expressed gratitude to President Trump for nominating him as the nation’s 72nd Secretary of State. “It is an extraordinary honor and a privilege to serve in this role and be here,” he remarked.
Rubio praised the US diplomatic corps, calling it “the greatest, the most effective, the most talented, the most experienced diplomatic corps in the history of the world.”
Outlining his foreign policy goals, Rubio highlighted the advancement of US national interests as the central mission. “Our foreign policy has a very clear mission—the advancement of our national interest, which is clearly defined through his (President Trump’s) campaign as anything that makes us stronger, safer, or more prosperous.”
Rubio also underscored the importance of international collaboration where interests align, stating, “I expect every nation on the earth to advance its national interests. And in those instances in which our and their national interests align, we look forward to working with them.”
Promoting global peace remains a key priority, Rubio said, emphasizing that “Promoting peace around the world is in our national interest because without peace, it is hard to be a strong and prosperous nation.” While the US will strive to avoid conflicts, he clarified that this would not come “at the expense of our national security and interests.”
Following the ceremony, Secretary Rubio is scheduled to meet with the foreign ministers of the QUAD nations, according to a statement from the US Department of State.
As per the details shared, Rubio will first convene with the Indo-Pacific QUAD Foreign Ministers at the Department of State at 1 PM (local time). This will be followed by a bilateral meeting with India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar at 3:45 PM. Later, he will hold individual meetings with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi.