Singapore's prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, will visit US President Joe Biden at the White House next week to discuss Asian security issues, including Myanmar and the response to Russia's war against Ukraine, officials said Friday.

Biden and Lee will meet March 29, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.

"The two leaders will reaffirm the importance of the US-Singapore Strategic Partnership. The president will review efforts to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific and discuss Russia’s unjustified war against Ukraine," Psaki said in a statement.

They will also discuss the US-led campaign to push back against Chinese expansion into disputed waters and international sea lanes in the Pacific, climate change, supply chain problems and the situation in Myanmar, she said.

Singapore announced in February it was joining other pro-Western powers in imposing sanctions on Russia, including blocking financial transactions. The wealthy city state rarely imposes sanctions on other countries without a decision from the United Nations Security Council.

However, Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan cited the "unprecedented gravity" of the crisis sparked by Russia's invasion.

The Myanmar crisis is a core issue of concern to the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Singapore is a member.

AFP