"On behalf of the Belgian government I would like to congratulate Theresa May with her assignment as prime minister of the United Kingdom."

Theresa May will have to lead her country in challenging times and we wish her every success.

We cannot afford a long period of uncertainty. Clarity is in the interest of both Europe and the United Kingdom.

We expect the United Kingdom to activate article 50 of the European Union's Lisbon treaty in order to begin negotiations of the future relationship with the European Union. This should be done as quickly as possible.

In the future, we hope to have the UK as a close partner of Belgium and the European Union.

Let me conclude by paying tribute to David Cameron. I want to salute his tenacity and openness during the negotiations for a contract with the United Kingdom and the European Union. He has shown strong leadership during and after the campaign.