Australian army chief Lieutenant-General David Morrison was awarded the prestigious Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentara), or the Meritorious Service Medal (Military), by Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen on Tuesday.

Lt-Gen Morrison received the medal for his role in strengthening relations between the Singapore and Australian armies.

This included supporting the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF) trainings in Australia, the renewal of the Oakey Agreement last year and SAF's previous deployments in Afghanistan.

Lt-Gen Morrison a promoted closer cooperation between the two armies through his support for the conduct of the annual bilateral armour exercise, Exercise Matilda, said Mindef in a statement on Tuesday.

Lt-Gen Morrison paid tribute to the SAF for conferring the prestigious award. "It is a most dedicated and professional national institution and I am delighted to have been considered for this award. I will wear it with pride, certain in the knowledge that Singapore and Australia will continue to work constructively and with purpose to ensure the prosperity of both our countries and the region," he said.

During his three-day visit, which ends on Wednesday, Lt-Gen Morrison called on Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant-General Ng Chee Meng, and Chief of Army Major-General Ravinder Singh. He also spoke to the officers of the 44th Command and Staff Course and 2nd Command and Staff Course (Executive) on Tuesday.