Readout of the President's Call with President Aquino of the Philippines

The President conveyed his congratulations to the newly elected President of the Republic of the Philippines, Benigno Aquino III, in a phone call this morning.  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.  He 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 Philippines is a long time ally and close friend of the United States.  The President and President-elect Aquino said they looked forward to bringing our cooperation to a new level and to meeting at a mutually convenient time.