Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong met his Swedish counterpart via a videoconference yesterday.

In a Facebook post, PM Lee said he and Prime Minister Stefan Lofven discussed global issues and possible further bilateral cooperation, including in pandemic management and health, as well as digital and innovation partnerships.

Remarking that he was happy to reconnect with Mr Lofven, PM Lee noted that Singapore is Sweden's largest trading partner in South-east Asia.

The Republic also hosts the largest concentration of Swedish businesses in the region, including household names such as Ikea and Electrolux.

"Singapore has excellent relations with Sweden, including longstanding defence ties and strong cooperation in research and innovation," wrote PM Lee.

He added: "I hope to welcome PM Lofven to Singapore soon!"