Khin Nyunt, a member of the military junta ruling Myanmar, was in Singapore for a one-day working visit as part of his introductory tour of fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The two leaders met less than a month before an Asia-Europe summit in Hanoi, which was almost scuttled by the European Union's initial refusal to allow Myanmar to attend, triggering an outcry among ASEAN members.

"They reviewed the state of bilateral relations and had a candid exchange of views on regional developments and trends," Lee's press secretary said in a statement after the meeting.

Khin Nyunt briefed Lee in detail on the situation in Myanmar, and Lee "expressed his understanding of the complex nature of Myanmar's challenges and problems," the statement said.

But Lee "also highlighted international and regional concerns about the situation in Myanmar and their implications for Myanmar, as well as for ASEAN as a whole," the statement added without giving details.

The human rights record of Myanmar's military regime is routinely criticised by foreign governments and rights watchdogs, but pressure has intensified further since the detention of the country's pro-democracy opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi last year.

EU foreign ministers say they do not want to see Myanmar's top leaders at the October 8-9 Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit in the Vietnamese capital.

They are threatening to tighten sanctions already in place against Myanmar unless Yangon makes progress on key demands, including the release of Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest.

The EU already has a package of sanctions in place against Yangon, including a visa ban and a freeze on Burmese assets in Europe.

The threatened new measures would include extending the visa ban, banning funding for Burmese state enterprises and voting against loans to Myanmar from international bodies.

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