Washington | US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has left for the Philippines to attend ASEAN meetings, where he will also hold discussions with ministers from the Quad group.
The Quad ministerial in Manila this week will be the second meeting in two months.
The last Quad ministerial meeting was held in New Delhi in May and was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Rubio. Rubio departed for Manila from the Joint Base Andrews in Maryland near here on Sunday evening.
"This summit, ASEAN, is our primary way of engaging the region. We're committed to it. I was there last year. I also went with the president when he went for the leaders' summit. And we're returning again this year. And it gives us an opportunity not just to participate in this gathering, but also to do a lot of bilateral meetings," Rubio said before departure.
"We'll also have meetings with ... the Quad of India, Australia, Japan, and ourselves. We'll also have a trilateral meeting with South Korea and Japan, which is another forum where we pursue," he said.
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor will also attend the Quad meeting.
"Looking forward to joining @SecRubio this week in the Philippines for our second Ministerial Quad meeting of the year. The United States is committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific, our Quad partners are essential," Gor said.
Last week, State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said Rubio will travel to Manila from July 19-23 to attend the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference, the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' Meeting, and the ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers' Meeting.  Rubio's visit advances a clear US priority: a free and open Indo-Pacific that delivers safety, security, and prosperity for the region and for the American people, Pigott said.
"Secretary Rubio will use this trip to demonstrate the tangible results of the US-ASEAN partnership and to deepen the United States' comprehensive partnership with the Philippines," the State Department spokesman said.
