PHL, Australia officials meet over defense, trade issues

The Philippines and Australia recently held the third Philippines-Australia Ministerial Meeting (PAMM) at the Parliament House in Canberra, where issues such as defense, trade, and investment were discussed. Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Albert del Rosario and Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory Domingo and Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd and Trade Minister Craig Emerson headed the Philippine and Australian delegations, respectively. According to a news article on the DFA website, Del Rosario said the Philippines values its friendship and strong cooperation with Australia. Del Rosario lauded the achievements of the two countries on issues concerning defense and security, investments, disaster management, and others. He said the development assistance provided by Australia, one of the three largest grant aid donors of the Philippines, is helping the Philippine government address education and health issues and address peace issues in Mindanao. He also mentioned that the estimated 250,000 Filipinos living in Australia help promote the socio-economic development of both countries. - VVP, GMA News