SINGAPORE - Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan visited Johor on Thursday (Dec 2) to reaffirm the longstanding and warm relations between Singapore and Johor.

He had an audience with and was hosted to lunch by the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement.

Dr Balakrishnan conveyed an invitation from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to Sultan Ibrahim to make an official visit to Singapore in the near future.

Sultan Ibrahim on his Facebook page on Thursday said: "It was nice to meet Mr Balakrishnan after so long due to the pandemic. I would like to thank Singapore for all they have done for us in these difficult times.

"Whatever happens here will impact Singapore and vice-versa. Hence, it is very important that our close ties are always fostered and preserved."

Dr Balakrishnan also called on the Crown Prince, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim.

The Singapore minister had a meeting with Johor's Menteri Besar Hasni Mohammad, where they welcomed the implementation of the vaccinated travel lanes (VTLs) on Nov 29 for travel by air and across the Causeway.

"The VTLs are a reflection of the good working relationship between Singapore and Malaysia, including the Johor state government, and build on both sides' earlier efforts to facilitate cross-border travel during the pandemic in a safe manner," the statement said.

Dr Balakrishnan reaffirmed Singapore's continued support for Johor's efforts to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.

Singapore on Thursday delivered 100,620 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to the Johor state government through the Sultan of Johor's foundation, Yayasan Sultan Ibrahim Johor.

The Singapore and Johor leaders exchanged views on new areas of cooperation between the Republic and the southern Malaysian state.

Dr Balakrishnan welcomed the establishment of the Johor Economic, Tourism and Cultural Office in Singapore in 2022, which will further strengthen Singapore's trade relations with Johor, MFA said.

"Both sides also discussed the possibility of institutionalising more exchanges between public service officials, including through professional exchanges and capacity building programmes," the statement said.