Brown congratulates Manmohan Singh on poll victory

British Premier Gordon Brown has congratulated Manmohan Singh with the election victory of the Congress-led alliance, saying the Indian leader has done a huge amount of work in promoting economic growth and the relief of poverty around the world.

"I want to welcome and congratulate Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh who is now re-elected as Prime Minister," Brown said in a statement here.

Brown described Singh as a "very good friend" and said, "he's done a huge amount of work, not only in India but around the world, in promoting economic growth and the relief of poverty."

"I recognise that India's difficulties arise from the Mumbai bombing and what that has done, and the action that has got to be taken as a result of that. I hope we can have better and more secure relationships between India and Pakistan.

"I hope I can play my part in persuading Pakistan to focus more on the terrorist issues within its own borders.

And I know that there will be general support for what I've called a regional strategy, where we deal with the crucible of terrorism, which is the south of Afghanistan and those parts of Pakistan that are controlled by, or are in the hands of, the Pakistan Taliban and al-Qaeda.

So I believe we can make progress over the next period of time," he added.