U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives in Malaysia for ASEAN meetings

SUBANG JAYA, July 10 — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Malaysia today to attend high-level discussions held in conjunction with the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM), hosted by Malaysia as part of its 2025 ASEAN Chairmanship.

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

Rubio is leading the U.S. delegation to the ASEAN-led meetings, which are being held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) from July 8 to 11.

The delegation touched down at the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Base at 7.39am, where they were welcomed by Foreign Ministry Undersecretary for Special Functions Datuk Syed Mohamad Bakri Syed Abd Rahman, U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia Edgard D. Kagan, and U.S. Mission to ASEAN Chargé d’Affaires Kate Rebholz.

According to the U.S. Department of State, Rubio is scheduled to attend the ASEAN-U.S. Post-Ministerial Conference, the East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, all of which begin Thursday.

He is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with senior Malaysian officials during his stay.

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

The ARF, a key part of the broader AMM programme, brings together ASEAN, its Dialogue Partners, and other strategic players including the United States, China, Russia, the European Union (EU), Japan, and Australia.

This marks the fifth time Malaysia is hosting the AMM, having previously chaired ASEAN in 1977, 1997, 2005, and 2015.

The U.S. began formal engagement with ASEAN in 1977. The relationship was elevated to a Strategic Partnership in 2015 and further upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022. — Bernama