Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has sent a congratulatory message to his new British counterpart, saying he was confident that Mrs Theresa May would provide the strong leadership her country would need to navigate the challenges ahead, and steer it towards continued prosperity.

Mr Lee noted that Singapore was a longstanding partner and friend of the United Kingdom, sharing deep historical ties and common interests in many areas, including security cooperation, defence, business, and science and innovation.

He said: "All these relationships are underpinned by the strong people-to-people ties and the historical and cultural links we share."

Mr Lee expressed confidence that these longstanding links would continue to flourish under Mrs May's leadership. He also said he looked forward to meeting her soon to discuss how to further strengthen relations between the two countries.