UPDATE - US, Honduras reaffirm commitment to deepen bilateral partnership

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By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday hosted Honduran President-elect Nasry Asfura in Washington, DC, for talks.

During a closed-door meeting at the State Department, Rubio congratulated Asfura on his electoral victory.

"We reaffirmed our commitment to deepening the U.S.-Honduras partnership to make our hemisphere safer and more prosperous," Rubio said via US social media company X.

The National Electoral Council (CNE) said last month that Asfura, who was backed by US President Donald Trump, secured 40.3% of the vote in Nov. 30 elections.

He is due to take office on Jan. 27 and will serve a four-year term.

In a separate statement, the State Department said they had spoken about the importance of combatting transnational crime, strengthening regional security, attracting new investment opportunities, and ending illegal immigration.

Rubio underscored the importance of continued cooperation on security, including maintaining the bilateral extradition treaty and expanding information sharing, according to the statement.