SINGAPORE, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Naryshkin met with Singapore's Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong here Tuesday. Both leaders welcomed the growing business links between the two countries.

    Both sides are also looking at how to further expand bilateral economic ties, Goh's press secretary said in a statement.

    Goh, Singapore's former prime minister, hosted the Russian leader to lunch, and they had a friendly exchange of views on a wide range of issues which included recent developments in Asia, Singapore and Russia, said the statement.

    Naryshkin is in Singapore to attend the Third Russian-Singapore Business Forum which opened earlier in the morning. Naryshkin delivered the keynote address, titled "Russia of Tomorrow", at the forum.

    He also met Singapore's founding father, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew on Monday.

    Singapore's total trade with Russia, the world's ninth largest economy, was 1.88 billion Singapore dollars (about 1.36 billion U.S. dollars) in 2007, more than double the amount of 880 million Singapore dollars in 2002.