SINGAPORE - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has written to British Prime Minister Theresa May to convey his congratulations on her reappointment as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Saturday (June 10).

"On behalf of the Government of Singapore, I would like to congratulate you on your reappointment as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom," PM Lee wrote in his letter to Mrs May.

"It was a difficult election and you fought a hard fight," he said. "One of your government's top priorities must now be the difficult negotiation with the EU on Brexit. The task is all the more complex as you will also have to rally an electorate which has sharply divergent views on the matter to support the eventual outcome," he added.

Mr Lee said he was confident that Mrs May would be able to provide the strong leadership needed to pull the British people together and work out the best deal for the United Kingdom.

Beyond Europe, Mr Lee voiced hope that Britain would continue to play an active role in world affairs.

He noted that Singapore and Britain shared longstanding and close ties and cooperate in many areas, including defence, trade and investment. "Our friendly relations are underpinned by the strong people-to people ties and the historical and cultural links we share. I am sure that this warm partnership will continue and strengthen under your leadership," Mr Lee said.

He also said he looked forward to working closely with Mrs May and meeting her at the G-20 Summit in Hamburg next month. He added that he hoped Mrs May would be able to find an opportunity to visit Singapore soon.