PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III met with Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd, who promised to help improve education in the country by building 5,000 classrooms next year.
“I took advantage of the opportunity that he is here because talking to him is like talking to Prime Minister (Julia) Gillard of Australia. Our meeting is to further strengthen our ties of the Philippines and Australia,” he added. Aquino said the Philippines and Australia maintain close relations in fields such as trade, defence, disaster risk management, and education.
The Australian government is building 5,000 classrooms in the Philippines, a major contribution to the country’s education sector, President Benigno S. Aquino III said.
The President met Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd at the Palace Friday morning. Rudd’s visit to the Philippines is important to strengthen the relations between the Philippines and Australia, the President said.
Rudd, former Australian prime minister visited the country Thursday and Friday (October 20- 21). This was his first official visit to the Philippines since he was sworn into office on September 14, 2010.
At the same time, President Aquino said he seized the opportunity to ask Rudd for a possible meeting with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
Rudd’s visit is one of the highlights of the 65th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral relations between the Philippines and Australia, which is being commemorated this year. (Reuters)