US Secretary Of State Marco Rubio Arrives In Malaysia For ASEAN Meetings

SUBANG JAYA, July 10 (Bernama) -- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived here today to attend high-level talks held in conjunction with the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) here, hosted by Malaysia under its 2025 ASEAN Chairmanship.

This visit marks Rubio’s first to Asia since assuming office earlier this year.

Rubio is leading the US delegation at the ASEAN-led meetings taking place at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) from July 8 to 11.

The delegation landed at the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Base here at 7.39 am.

They were received by Foreign Ministry Undersecretary for Special Functions, Datuk Syed Mohamad Bakri Syed Abd Rahman, US Ambassador to Malaysia Edgard D. Kagan and Chargé d'Affaires at the US Mission to ASEAN, Kate Rebholz.

According to the US Department of State, Rubio is scheduled to participate in the ASEAN-United States Post-Ministerial Conference, the East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, all taking place from Thursday.

He is also expected to hold bilateral discussions with senior Malaysian officials during his visit.

All ASEAN foreign ministers are attending the meetings, except for Myanmar, which is represented by a senior official. Timor-Leste is participating as an observer.

The ARF, a key component of the AMM’s wider programme, brings together ASEAN, its Dialogue Partners and other strategic players, including the US, China, Russia, the European Union (EU), Japan and Australia.

This marks Malaysia’s fifth time chairing ASEAN, having previously led the bloc in 1977, 1997, 2005, and 2015.

The US began formal engagement with ASEAN in 1977, a decade after the regional bloc’s formation. 

The relationship was elevated to a Strategic Partnership in 2015 and further upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022.

-- BERNAMA