U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that he is ready to hold talks this week with the foreign ministers of China and Russia if such an opportunity arises. He made this announcement to reporters before the start of his visit to Manila, where a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will take place. In response to a question about possible contacts with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Rubio noted that Washington is open to such meetings. At the same time, the American diplomat declined to specify what topics might be discussed, emphasizing that such negotiations require a delicate approach. According to Rubio, ASEAN remains a key platform for the U.S. to engage with countries in the region. In addition to participating in the multilateral meeting, he plans to hold a series of bilateral talks and meet with partners in the Quad format, which includes Australia, India, Japan, and the U.S. If a meeting between Marco Rubio and Sergey Lavrov does take place, it will be one of the few direct contacts between the heads of the foreign policy agencies of the U.S. and Russia in recent times and may provide the parties with an opportunity to discuss the most pressing international issues.