Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman sought Singapore's support for its bid to become an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner, join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and secure a sustainable resolution to the Rohingya crisis during bilateral talks between the two countries' foreign ministers on Thursday.

The discussions took place in Manila on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan congratulated Khalilur on his election as President of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

Khalilur assured his Singaporean counterpart that the concerns of small states such as Singapore would remain among his priorities during his presidency of the General Assembly.

During the meeting, the two sides agreed to build on their longstanding diplomatic ties and strong people-to-people relations by expanding cooperation in trade and investment, skilled migration and mutual support in multilateral forums.

Balakrishnan acknowledged the significant contribution of Bangladeshi workers to Singapore's economy and welcomed the continued migration of skilled professionals from Bangladesh.

The two ministers also agreed to continue efforts to conclude a bilateral free trade agreement between Bangladesh and Singapore, with the aim of strengthening economic cooperation and expanding trade between the two countries.