Philippine Ambassador to Spain Philippe Lhuillier recently met with Andorra Foreign Affairs Minister Maria Ubach to discuss ways to enhance Philippine-Andorran trade relations.
Among the areas, they agreed to focus on were exchange programs between Andorran and Philippine colleges and universities, the opening up of employment opportunities for Filipino English teachers in Andorra, encouraging tourism and promoting trade and investment activities that would redound to greater economic engagement between Andorra and the Philippines.
Diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Andorra were established in February 2000. Around 422 Filipinos live and work in Andorra, mostly in the domestic services sector.
Ubach expressed her countrymen´s admiration for Filipinos in Andorra, saying that Filipinos are held in high esteem for their industriousness, honesty, solid Christian values, and skills in the English language.
Lhuillier also presented his credentials as the Philippines´ non-resident ambassador to the Principality of Andorra to Archbishop Joan EnricVives Sicilia, the co-prince of Andorra at the Palacio Episcopal in La Seud’Urgell.
Lhuillier also visited Malaga in Spain, a tourist destination where around 3,000 Filipinos reside and work, to pay a courtesy call to Miguel Briones Artacho, representative of the Spanish national government in Malaga.
“The Spanish National Police regarded the Filipino community in Malaga as the ‘most integrated immigrant community’ and praised the Filipinos for their outstanding behavior and for being a widely respected part of the Malagueño community,” Artacho said.