U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio departed on Sunday (July 19) for the Philippines to join various meetings with Asia-Pacific countries in Manila.
Prior to departure, Rubio answered questions in relation to the ongoing conflict in Iran, meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, and preparations for a possible September summit between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump.
The U.S. State Department said Rubio will be in Manila from July 19 to 23 to attend the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference, the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, and the ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
It said Rubio will also meet with senior government officials from Indo-Pacific countries in a trip lasting until next Thursday.
