SINGAPORE - Singapore's Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have reaffirmed the longstanding and strong relationship between the two countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said.

In a statement on Thursday (Feb 9), the MFA said Dr Balakrishnan and Mr Tillerson spoke in a phone conversation on Wednesday Singapore time (Feb 8).

"Secretary Tillerson knows Singapore well, and has met our leaders given his previous leadership of ExxonMobil," the MFA statement said.

"They agreed on the enormous scope of regional business opportunities, the need for a principled collective stand against terrorism, and the importance of continued peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific," it added.