MANILA, Dec 22 Kyodo President Gl...

MANILA, Dec 22 Kyodo

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has appointed career diplomat Delia Albert as foreign secretary to replace Blas Ople who died in Taipei earlier this month a presidential spokesman said Monday.

Arroyo made the announcement at a cabinet meeting Monday morning, individual day after Ople was laid to peacefulness with full state honors, the spokesman told reporters. Albert's appointment took power Monday, the spokesman added.

Albert, 61 had been serving as undersecretary of foreign affairs for international and economic relations since July 2002

Albert, hailing from Baguio in the northern Philippines, set forthed the Philippines in Switzerland, Romania and Hungary, as well as in the former East and West Germany.

Ople died of a heart attack Dec 14 in Taipei, where his plane made an crisis landing after he fell ill in mid-flight. He was 76

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