Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong underscored the strong bilateral ties between Singapore and France as he met 300 overseas Singaporeans at the Hotel des Arts et Metiers on Saturday night, his last night in Paris.

He said Singapore and France have longstanding economic, scientific, educational and military cooperation, most notably the Cazaux Air Base, where the Republic of Singapore Air Force has been training pilots for the past 20 years.

Mr Lee, who was in Paris to attend the French national day parade as a guest of honour, highlighted the importance of having like-minded partners in an uncertain world. He also brought up the ongoing trade tensions between the United States and several countries.

"That affects us because we are a trading nation and when trade is down, it strikes at the root of our prosperity and economic vitality," he said.

"We can't do a lot about it but we can be psychologically prepared and build up our own economy, investments, skills, productivity, upgrading - all the mantras and code words which we use every National Day."