BRISBANE - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz reaffirmed the strong relations between Singapore and Saudi Arabia in a 20-minute meeting on Sunday morning.

PM Lee, who called on the Crown Prince on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G-20) summit in Brisbane this weekend, thanked him for Saudi Arabia's support of the free trade pact between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Singapore.

The GCC-Singapore free trade agreement took effect in September last year.

PM Lee also expressed gratitude for the kingdom's hospitality for the pilgrims from Singapore during the Haj, according to a statement by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

For his part, Prince Salman welcomed closer economic ties between the two countries, the PMO said.