Obama, Abe reaffirm importance of alliance

WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama and Shinzo Abe, Japan's premier-in-waiting, reaffirmed on Monday evening the alliance between their countries as the cornerstone of peace and security in the region.

In their phone conversation, Obama again congratulated Abe, who is also president of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party, for his party's landslide victory in Sunday's House of Representatives elections.

"Both sides reaffirmed the importance of the US-Japan alliance as the cornerstone of peace and security in the region," the White House said in a statement.

"The president and Abe discussed ongoing efforts to enhance bilateral security cooperation as well as deepening economic ties, " the statement said, adding that they also agreed on the importance of close US-Japan cooperation on pressing regional and global issues.

Abe, Japan's prime minister from September 2006 to September 2007, is set to return to the premiership as his party and its key ally, the New Komeito Party, garnered an absolute majority of 325 seats in the 480-member lower house.

Obama issued a statement on Sunday extending his congratulations to Abe on his party's victory.

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