SINGAPORE, November 14. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has met with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Wednesday.

At the start of the bilateral meeting, the Russian president and the Singaporean PM witnessed an exchange of documents signed during Putin’s visit to Singapore, including the Russia-Singapore Agreement on Trade in Services and Investment signed by Russian Minister of Economic Development Maxim Oreshkin and Singapore’s Minister of State Koh Poh Koon.

Earlier, Russia and Singapore also signed a Memorandum of Understanding in the field of higher education. The parties exchanged the agreements signed by the government of St. Petersburg and the Singapore Cooperation Enterprise on cooperation in the sphere of trade, economy, science and technology, as well as the social sphere.

After the ceremony, Putin and Lee Hsien Loong continued the bilateral talks. The meeting took place on Wednesday evening, after the reception held in honor of the leaders of foreign delegations participating in the East Asia Summit.

On the first day of the visit, Putin held a meeting with Singapore’s President Halimah Yacob. The two leaders also laid the foundation stone of the Russian cultural center and an Orthodox church in Singapore during an official ceremony.

Earlier, the Kremlin noted that Russian-Singaporean relations are mutually beneficial and constructive. Last year, bilateral trade grew 94% to $4.4 bln. In the first eight months of 2018, the trade turnover reached $2.5 bln, a 6.7% decline compared with the similar period of last year. Currently, an effort is underway to sign a free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and Singapore. The next round of talks on this issue is scheduled for November 2018 in Minsk.

The two countries have been also developing cultural and humanitarian ties. Last year, more than 80,000 Russian tourists visited Singapore and some 7,000 Singaporeans traveled to Russia. Over 4,000 Russians live in the republic on a permanent or temporary basis. In December 2008, a Russian Orthodox Church township was registered in Singapore and a Russian-language Sunday school was opened.