MANILA - Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan was in Manila on Tuesday (June 13) for an introductory visit to the Philippines.

He met with Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alan Peter Cayetano, who hosted Dr Balakrishnan to a lunch where Secretary of Trade and Industry Ramon Lopez was also present.

During their meeting, Dr Balakrishnan and Mr Cayetano had "a fruitful and wide-ranging discussion that reaffirmed our warm and long-standing bilateral ties", according to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs press statement.

Both sides agreed to expand cooperation in areas such as air connectivity, telecommunications, human resource development, urban solutions, and promoting trade and investment, the statement said.

Dr Balakrishnan expressed his condolences to those affected by the conflict in Marawi City, and voiced support for the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.

He also expressed support for the Philippines' chairmanship of the Asean grouping and stressed Singapore's commitment to working with the Philippines to uphold Asean centrality and unity to promote peace and stability in the region.