Metro Manila, Philippines – U.S. President Donald Trump holds President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. “in high esteem,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said as the two allies reaffirmed their growing partnership amid heightened tensions in the Indo-Pacific.
Rubio conveyed Trump’s message during a courtesy call on Marcos at Malacañang on Wednesday while in Manila for the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meetings.
“You know how much the President holds you in high esteem,” Rubio told Marcos. “We had a very positive meeting last year in Washington.”
Rubio said the United States considers the Philippines a longstanding partner whose strategic importance continues to grow.
“This is a country that has had deep ties to the United States for many, many years, and it’s a partnership that is only growing,” he said. “In light of recent events, I think [it is] more important than ever.”
He said that aside from participating in the ASEAN meetings, it was important for him to personally visit the Philippines and meet with Marcos, noting that the regional gatherings provide an opportunity for the United States to engage with partners across the Indo-Pacific.
Marcos welcomed Rubio’s visit, saying he appreciated that the U.S. secretary found time to meet despite his demanding schedule and the series of ministerial meetings in Manila.
The president noted that the Philippines, as this year’s ASEAN chair, is hosting discussions on a range of pressing regional issues and said Rubio’s participation would help advance exchanges with Southeast Asian foreign ministers.
Rubio is in Manila for the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference, the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the ASEAN Regional Forum, where the South China Sea, regional security and economic cooperation are among the top agenda items.
