Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad (R) shakes hands with his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong during a press conference in Putrajaya, Malaysia, April 9, 2019. Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong arrived in Malaysia on Monday for a working visit. (Xinhua/Chong Voon Chung)

KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong arrived in Malaysia on Monday for a working visit.

The visit is in conjunction with the 9th Malaysia-Singapore Leaders Retreat, an annual event held alternately in Malaysia and Singapore, and is the first between Lee and incumbent Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, the Malaysian foreign ministry said in a statement.

"During the retreat, the two premiers are scheduled to have a four-eyed meeting to be followed by a delegation meeting. They are expected to discuss issues of mutual concern, review progress of existing bilateral cooperation and explore new areas of cooperation for mutual benefits," it said.

The ministry added that trade between the two countries was estimated to be worth 59.92 billion U.S. dollars in 2018, with both countries closely cooperating in the areas of investment, education, defense, agriculture and transportation.