TOKYO - THE leaders of Singapore and Japan on Tuesday exchanged ideas on how to build on the momentum generated by the recent meeting of 20 major economies towards the goal of sustaining economic growth and linking up the Asia-Pacific region.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong told Singapore media that talks with his Japanese counterpart, Mr Yukio Hatoyama, focused on the results of the recent Group of 20 (G-20) meeting in Pittsburgh and how to build on them in this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) meeting in Singapore and next year's Apec meeting in Japan.

Mr Lee, who is here on a four-day visit, is one of the first foreign leaders to have talks with the new Japanese Prime Minister after the latter's inauguration on Sept 16 following a landslide victory by his Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) in recent general elections. It was also the first-ever meeting between the two men.

'We had a good discussion because I am meeting him at a moment after G-20 and before the Asean leaders' meeting and the Apec meeting in November,' said Mr Lee.

He said the momentum from the G-20 meeting was useful in helping to further Apec's agenda of sustaining economic growth and connecting up the Asia-Pacific region as well as to develop trade and investment links in the region.

Mr Lee said that Singapore and Japan were working closely to ensure that the momentum from what was discussed in the Apec meeting in Singapore this year would be carried over to the meeting to be hosted by Japan next year in Yokohama. 'We hope this will lead to some useful initiatives which will contribute to our objective of sustaining growth and connecting up the region,' he said.

Read the full report in Wednesday's edition of The Straits Times.