Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen met Lieutenant-General Hun Manet, commander of the Army of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces yesterday, the second day of his visit here.

Mr Heng, who is the acting prime minister, said in a Facebook post that he had a fruitful discussion with the Cambodian army commander on topics such as regional economic development, education and infrastructure development.

Mr Heng added: "We both agreed that we cannot take peace and stability for granted, as we focus on growing opportunities for our peoples and the Asean community."

Lt-Gen Hun Manet was then hosted to lunch by Dr Ng. They reaffirmed the friendly bilateral defence relationship between Singapore and Cambodia, and exchanged views on regional and international security issues.

Dr Ng said in a Facebook post: "I thanked him for Cambodia's strong support and presence in multilateral fora hosted by Singapore. Singapore's and Cambodia's defence ministries will continue to work closely together to address common security challenges in our region."

Lt-Gen Hun Manet had called on chief of defence force, Lt-Gen Melvyn Ong, and army chief, Major-General Goh Si Hou, in the morning, after reviewing a guard of honour at the Defence Ministry. He also visited the commando headquarters at Hendon Camp later in the day.

The Defence Ministry said: "Lt-Gen Hun Manet's visit underscores the warm and friendly bilateral defence relationship between Singapore and Cambodia. Both sides interact regularly through high-level visits and professional interactions between the Singapore Armed Forces and the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces."