SINGAPORE, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Singapore and the United States signed here Wednesday a Letter of Intent (LOI) on Cooperation in Science and Technology for Homeland Security Matters, vowing to work toward a mutual agreement.

    According to a joint statement issued by Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the two countries will carry out collaborative scientific and technological research and development and share solutions "to tackle homeland security and safety issues, ranging from terrorist incidents and border security to disaster rescue and recovery."

    The LOI was signed by Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Wong Kan Seng and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, who arrived here Tuesday for a three-day official visit.

    Speaking at a luncheon hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce Wednesday, Chertoff said that under an agreement between the United States and Singapore, a pilot U.S. initiative to monitor containers for radioactive materials will be launched in the port of Singapore "within a matter of days," according to Channel News Asia report.

    Named "Mega Ports Initiative" and undertaken by America's DHS and the Department of Energy, the project aims to "put radiation port monitors in major ports all over the world as a way of counteracting the danger of proliferation," Chertoff was quoted assaying.

    It will also help detect high risk containers with radioactive materials before they get on a ship to go to the United States, according to Chertoff.

    This is Chertoff's first visit to Singapore after he took office in February last year. He is scheduled to meet several government leaders including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during his stay here. Enditem