Singapore's Minister of State for Defence Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman is in Bahrain to attend a key Gulf region security forum, the 10th Manama Dialogue, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Sunday.

Dr Maliki spoke on "Regional Military Cooperation" at one of the Simultaneous Special Sessions, where he highlighted the importance of dialogue and practical cooperation among militaries to address transnational security challenges such as terrorism and maritime security threats, Mindef said.

During his trip from December 5 to 7, Dr Maliki and delegation leaders from other participating states had a joint audience with the King of Bahrain, Shaikh Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, the statement said. He also called on the Crown Prince, First Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Bahrain Defence Force, Shaikh Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, as well as the Minister of State for Defence Affairs, Lieutenant General Dr Shaikh Mohammad Bin Abdulla Al Khalifa.

As well as reaffirming the strong bilateral ties between Singapore and Bahrain with his hosts, Dr Maliki expressed Singapore's appreciation to Bahrain for its support for the Singapore Armed Forces' deployment to the Gulf of Aden, Mindef said.

More than 700 SAF sailors, soldiers and airmen have joined a multi-national effort to battle piracy in the Gulf of Aden since 2009.

Dr Maliki also had a bilateral meeting with the British Secretary of State for Defence, Michael Fallon, on the sidelines of the Manama Dialogue, according to the ministry.

Organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the Manama Dialogue serves as a platform for national security establishments of the Gulf states, the Middle East, the United States, Britain, China and Germany and beyond to discuss regional security challenges.

Singapore has been attending the event since its inception in 2004.