SINGAPORE - Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan is on a working visit to Japan from Friday (Nov 22) to Saturday.

In Tokyo, he met his Japanese counterpart Motegi Toshimitsu. Dr Balakrishnan congratulated Mr Motegi on Japan's successful Group of 20 Presidency, said Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in a statement on Friday.

The two ministers reaffirmed the excellent relations between Singapore and Japan, and discussed deepening bilateral cooperation and collaborating in multilateral fora. They also exchanged views on regional and international developments.

Dr Balakrishnan also met Defence Minister Taro Kono, Minister of the Environment Shinjiro Koizumi, National Security Secretariat secretary-general Shigeru Kitamura, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) General Council chairman Shunichi Suzuki, and LDP Lower House MP and former defence minister Itsunori Onodera.

In these meetings, Dr Balakrishnan reaffirmed the warm and multi-faceted relations between Singapore and Japan, and discussed regional and international developments, as well as developments in Japan.

He welcomed the critical role played by Japan in the region, including in the entry into force of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and the significant milestone achieved on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

Singapore looks forward to working with Japan to uphold the open, inclusive and rules-based multilateral trading system, particularly in the region, said the MFA statement.

Dr Balakrishnan was slated to travel to Nagoya later on Friday for the G-20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting.