Blinken meets Trump’s secretary of state pick Rubio for ‘constructive’ talks

WASHINGTON

Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Wednesday with US President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, Marco Rubio, and had a "good, constructive, and substantive" conversation, according to the State Department.

"As we said initially when they first had the opportunity to speak on the phone, we expected them to have an engagement at some point," State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.

"This is consistent with that, and as we long said, we continue to stand ready to help support a seamless transition," he added.

Patel refused to provide details about the conversation.

Blinken telephoned Rubio to offer his congratulations on his nomination after the Nov. 5 presidential election and pledge that the agency would “do everything within our power to make a successful transition," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said last month.