US hails 'historic' victory



Dilma Rousseff

 WASHINGTON - THE United States congratulated Dilma Rousseff on Monday on her 'historic' election as Brazil's first female president, expressing hope their countries would deepen ties during her tenure.


Ms Rousseff, outgoing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's anointed successor, was elected 56 per cent of the vote in a runoff election on Sunday against opposition candidate Jose Serra.

US President Barack Obama called Ms Rousseff, 62, 'to congratulate her on her historic victory in yesterday's election', the White House said in a statement.

'He commended the people of Brazil for their faith and commitment to democracy,' it added. 'He also underscored the excellent working relationship between the United States and Brazil, and his commitment to deepening this cooperation and exploring new areas of collaboration.'

Mr Obama also told his future Brazilian counterpart that he looks forward to meeting with her 'soon' and to work 'more closely' on clean energy, global growth, reconstruction assistance for quake-battered Haiti, collaborative development efforts and other global matters, the White House said. The State Department also separately congratulated Ms Rousseff on her win. -- AFP