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WASHINGTON : US President Barack Obama on Wednesday called Benigno Aquino to congratulate him on his election as the new president of the Philippines, the White House said.
"The president described the May 10 elections as a model of transparency and positive testament to the strength and vitality of democracy in the Philippines," said a White House statement.
Obama "noted the deep historic and people-to-people ties between the United States and the Philippines and our strong cooperation on security and economic issues in the Asia Pacific region and globally," the statement said.
"The Philippines is a long time ally and close friend of the United States."
The White House said the two leaders agreed to take the cooperation between the two countries to a new level and to meeting at a "mutually convenient" time.
Aquino, son of democracy icons Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino and Corazon Aquino was proclaimed president in parliament after winning over 15.2 million votes, or nearly 42 per cent of the total cast in the election.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also congratulated Aquino, saying the "successful election exemplified the vitality of the country's democratic institutions and should be a point of pride for Filipinos everywhere."
She added that "the Filipino people now look to President-elect Aquino to carry forward the democratic traditions that his parents did so much to champion." - AFP/jy
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