Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said India's relations with Singapore are one of our strongest relationships in the world.

Paying tributes to Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s founder and first Prime Minister, Modi pointed out that integration with Southeast Asia and beyond is growing.

"Singapore is a key pillar of India's Act East Policy,” the Prime Minister said. Modi is in Singapore to attend the state funeral services for Lee Kuan Yew (91) who passed away on March 23.

Modi added that Lee Kuan Yew believed in India's potential more than many of us did. "In India, we deeply valued his friendship and his support for India's economic progress and global role. He believed in India's potential more than many of us did. So, his vision is coming true. The seeds he sowed are bearing fruits today,” the Prime Minister said.

Calling Lee Kuan Yew "the tallest leaders of our times'', the Prime Minister said Singapore's transformation in one generation is a tribute to his leadership.

"He inspired not just Southeast Asia, but all of Asia, to believe in its own destiny. He was a global thinker, who saw things ahead of others. He was an advocate of economic progress, but also made tireless efforts to advance peace and stability in our region,'' Modi said.

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