SINGAPORE - United States Navy Secretary Raymond Mabus called on Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen at the Ministry of Defence on Wednesday morning.

He also called on Permanent Secretary for Defence Chan Yeng Kit and Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant-General Ng Chee Meng.

Mr Mabus, who arrived in Singapore on Tuesday for a three-day visit, toured the Changi Naval Base. There, he met participants of the 20th annual Singapore-US Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training exercise between the United States Navy and the Republic of Singapore Navy. The 11-day joint exercise started Tuesday, and will involve some 1,400 soldiers from both navies.

Mindef said in a statement on Wednesday that Mr Mabus' visit "underscores the excellent and long-standing defence ties between Singapore and the US".

Both navies have interacted extensively through bilateral and multilateral exercises. Such interactions have strengthened the cooperation and fostered strong friendships between the two navies.