Marco Rubio Leads Security Alliance and Meets Russian Foreign Minister

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio conducted a series of high-level diplomatic engagements in New York City during the 81st United Nations General Assembly. On September 22, Rubio met with heads of state and foreign ministers of the Shield of the Americas, an alliance of democratically elected leaders. He described the group as a coalition dedicated to combating transnational terrorism and criminal organizations that possess resources rivaling those of sovereign states.

Rubio noted that the Shield of the Americas has expanded by two members since its previous meeting. He stated that the alliance intends to coordinate not only security measures but also economic and diplomatic strategies to ensure members act in concert within international forums.

Following these meetings, Rubio held closed-door talks on September 23 with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The diplomats met without press remarks to discuss bilateral cooperation at the United Nations. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation later stated that the potential for cooperation between the two permanent members of the UN Security Council remains largely untapped.