Continuity the Key for World Leaders as Obama Returns

MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) --- World leaders congratulated US President Barack Obama on Wednesday on his return to the White House for a second presidential term after an election victory that was far from certain.

Chinese President Hu Jintao hailed the “hard work of the Chinese and American sides” over Obama’s first term.

“Maintaining the healthy and stable development of China-US relations not only benefits the people of the two countries and is in the common interests of the people of the two countries, but also helps to maintain peace, stability and development in the Asia-Pacific region and the world as a whole,” the Chinese leader said.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, whose country is Washington’s biggest ally in Asia told reporters that Tokyo “looks forward to continued cooperation.”

Western leaders also welcomed Obama’s reelection.

“Warm congratulations to my friend Barack Obama,” tweeted British Prime Minister David Cameron. “Look forward to continuing to work together.”

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said: “US leadership remains vital to meeting global challenges; international financial stability and global economic growth, peace and security, and the impacts of our changing climate.”

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said the organization looked forward to “continuing the close cooperation established with President Obama over these last four years, to further strengthening our bilateral ties and to jointly addressing global challenges, including in the fields of security and economy.”

In the Middle East, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said “the strategic alliance between Israel and the US is stronger than ever.”

“I will continue to work with President Obama in order to assure the interests that are vital to the security of the citizens of Israel,” he said.

The head of NATO, Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the military alliance expects “continued cooperation with Barack Obama so NATO remains effective against new threats.”

But congratulations from Moscow were muted, with President Vladimir Putin preferring to wait and send a telegram rather than call Obama in the hours after his election victory over Republican challenger Mitt Romney. Putin’s spokesman said, however, that the Kremlin was, “in general, extremely positive” about Obama’s election victory.