Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Honduran President Nasry Asfura in Washington on Friday and thanked him for what the State Department called Honduras’ “steadfast partnership on shared defense, security, and immigration priorities.”

Mr. Rubio commended Mr. Asfura’s leadership in the Shield of the Americas and the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, according to a readout from the department’s spokesman. He also recognized the Honduran government’s recent designation of the MS-13 and Barrio 18 gangs as terrorist associations.

The two leaders discussed expanding bilateral trade and U.S. investment in Honduras, the State Department said. Mr. Rubio reaffirmed U.S. support for the Honduran people as they face drought conditions caused by El Niño, and both leaders committed to “deepening cooperation for a safer, stronger, and more prosperous hemisphere.”

The meeting was the first between the two men since Mr. Asfura took office on Jan. 27, the EFE news agency reported. Mr. Asfura, the candidate of the conservative National Party, won the presidency with President Donald J. Trump’s public backing. Mr. Rubio first met him on Jan. 12, when he was president-elect.

Mr. Asfura was received by Mr. Trump at Mar-a-Lago in February with other leaders of the Shield of the Americas, a group of governments across the region that have aligned with the White House’s priorities, EFE reported. He also traveled to Washington on March 6, when he formalized Honduras’ return to the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, part of the World Bank Group.