Singapore PM to visit US

Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong will pay a five-day visit to the United States next week in a bid to deepen the cooperation between the two countries.

During his visit, which will start from next Monday, Goh will meet with US President George W.Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney,Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell, according to a statement issued by the premier's office on Sunday.

Goh, who will be accompanied by Foreign Minister S. Jayakumar, Defense Minister Teo Chee Hean and Trade and Industry Minister George Yeo, will also deliver a speech to the Council of Foreign Relations.

Following his trip to Washington, Goh will also stop over in the British capital of London to meet with British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

This will be Goh's third meeting with Bush since last May when the Singapore leader was in Washington for the signing of a free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries, the first that Washington inked with an Asian country.

Currently, Singapore is the 11th largest trading partner of the United States, which has about 4,000 companies in the island statewith some of them being regional headquarters.