Marco Rubio sworn in as US Secretary of State

​​​​​​​By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US Vice President JD Vance administered the oath of office Tuesday for Marco Rubio as he was sworn in as secretary of state.

Rubio, 53, pledged to work to further the national interest of the US.

"(President Donald Trump's) primary promise when it comes to foreign policy is that the priority of the United States Department of State will be the United States,” he said. “We will work hard every second of the day to help him achieve the agenda the American people have given him to achieve."

Speaking also in Spanish, Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, thanked Trump for the opportunity.

Rubio arrived at the State Department to deliver his first remarks to employees after he was sworn in

"This is an extraordinary honor and a privilege to serve in this role, to be here, frankly, to oversee the greatest, the most effective, the most talented, the most experienced diplomatic corps in the history of the world resides in this building," he said.

Rubio said his US mission is to advance the national interest.

"And that will be our mission, that will be our job across the world is to ensure that we have a foreign policy that advances the national interest of the United States," he added.

The US endeavors to promote peace around the world, Rubio stressed. "Without peace, it is hard to be a strong nation, a prosperous nation, and one that is better off,” he said.