SINGAPORE - Singapore and the Pacific nation of Kiribati have signed an open skies agreement that allows the airlines of both countries to fly between the countries and beyond to any third country.

With this, Singapore now has air services agreements with more than 140 states and territories, of which more than 70 are open skies agreements.

The agreement, which was signed on Monday (Feb 12), allows the airlines of both countries to fly any number of services to any destinations from airports of either country. There will be no restrictions on capacity, frequency, aircraft type and routing.

Kiribati, which has a population of around 110,000, is made up of 33 coral atolls and islands.

Singapore Second Minister for Transport Ng Chee Meng said the pact is "testament to the strong bilateral relationship between Singapore and Kiribati".

Mr Ng, who is also Minister for Education (School), added: "This agreement will open up new opportunities for our carriers, enable greater movement of people and goods between the two countries, and benefit both businesses and people."