Washington, 22 January 2025 (dpa/MIA) - The United States will prioritize its national interests in every foreign policy decision, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday.

"Everything we do must be justified by the answer to one of three questions: Does it make us stronger, does it make us safer, and does it make us more prosperous?" Rubio said as he was sworn in by US Vice President JD Vance.

"If it doesn't do one of those three things, we will not do it," he added.

The primary goal of US foreign policy was the promotion of peace, Rubio said.

"Of course peace through strength, peace and always without abandoning our values."

The US would seek to prevent and avoid conflict, "but never at the expense of our national security, never at the expense of our national interest and never at the expense of our core values as a nation and as a people," he said.

The son of Cuban immigrants, Rubio enjoys bipartisan support, unlike many other candidates for Trump's new cabinet.

The Senate confirmed Rubio's appointment as the US's chief diplomat on Monday, hours after US President Donald Trump's inauguration.

Rubio met with the foreign ministers of Australia, India and Japan on his first day in office to "reaffirm our shared commitment to strengthening a Free and Open Indo-Pacific," the State Department said.

Photo: EPA