Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Amanda Louise Gorely, together with some officials of the Embassy of Australia, paid a courtesy call on President Benigno S. Aquino III at the Malacañang Palace’s Music Room on Monday.

Ambassador Gorely was joined by Australian Embassy Economic Counselor Daniel Featherston; Political and Public Affairs Counselor Richard Rodgers; Defense Attaché Captain Brad White; and Acting Deputy of Mission Robyn Biti.

Present on the Philippines’ side were Foreign Affairs Secretary Jose Rene Almendras; Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Millicent Cruz-Paredes, and Director Princess Tomas-Tayao, both from the Office of Asia and Pacific Affairs.

Gorely was designated as Australia’s envoy to the Philippines in December last year, replacing Bill Tweddell.

The senior career officer with Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has served as corporate counsel and head of the Corporate Legal Branch since 2012.

She previously worked as deputy high commissioner at the Australian High Commission in Wellington and deputy permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva. She was also assigned in Stockholm and Copenhagen.

In Canberra, Gorely served as assistant secretary of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Law Branch; director of the International Law Section; and director of the Human Rights and Indigenous Issues Section.

The Philippines has long-standing diplomatic relations with Australia. Last May, the two countries marked the 70th anniversary of their bilateral relationship.

At the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Summit in November last year, President Aquino and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull signed a Joint Declaration that launched a Philippines-Australia Comprehensive Partnership, marking a new era in bilateral relations and strengthening the links between the two economies. PND (jb)