US President Donald Trump has praised conservative Honduran counterpart Nasry Asfura after a meeting at his Mar-a-Lago resort, with Asfura vowing on Sunday to be Washington’s “most reliable strategic partner.”

Asfura, a businessman and former mayor of the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa, was sworn in last week after winning the November elections with Trump’s backing.

Trump had threatened to cut aid to Central America’s poorest country if his “friend” was defeated.

For his part, Asfura described his meeting at Mar-a-Lago as “productive” and said the two leaders agreed to boost investment and trade.

The Honduran presidency released a photo of the two leaders smiling and giving a thumbs-up.

Asfura had already met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on January 12, after which the two countries announced plans for a free trade deal.

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