GMA says key defense pact may be signed during her Australia visit

MANILA (AP) - The Philippines would likely sign a historic defense pact with Australia next week allowing large-scale joint military exercises, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said Sunday, ahead of her departure on an official trip to the region.

Arroyo was to leave Sunday for a two-day trip to New Zealand, where Philippine officials were expected to sign tourism and other business deals, before flying to Australia to witness the signing of the Status of Forces Agreement, officials said.

"The Philippines must continue to aggressively engage the world in order to modernize the nation, bolster our security and attract new investments to lift up our poor," Arroyo said in a departure statement issued to reporters.

"We will continue to promote the benefits of the Philippines with every ounce of our energy," Arroyo said in the statement.

Arroyo was to meet with New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark during her two-day trip. Arroyo said Clark, like her, is a supporter of greater interfaith dialogue in Asia.