SINGAPORE - Kazakhstan's Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov called on Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana on Thursday.

Mr Idrissov is on a working visit and conveyed the personal regards of his President Nursultan Nazarbayev to PM Lee and former PM Mr Lee Kuan Yew, whom the Kazakh President admires as a global statesman.

PM Lee affirmed the warm bilateral relations between Singapore and Kazakhstan. He noted the potential for both countries to expand their co-operation in various fields, and welcomed closer business links and people-to-people exchanges.

Separately, Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam hosted Mr Idrissov to lunch. He welcomed Kazakhstan's continued interest in learning from Singapore's experience in areas such as education and public administration, and encouraged Kazakhstan companies to use Singapore as a hub to explore opportunities in the ASEAN region. Both Ministers also exchanged views on regional developments.