White House congratulates Merkel

The White House today congratulated Angela Merkel on becoming Germany’s chancellor and said it hoped she would meet soon with President George Bush.

“We look forward to working closely with Chancellor Merkel and the new government to strengthen the US-German partnership in advancing freedom and prosperity around the world,” said Kate Starr, a spokesperson for the White House’s National Security Council.

“We look forward to an early meeting between the two leaders,” Starr said, adding that nothing has been scheduled yet.

Talks have been under way about a possible meeting between Bush and Merkel in coming months.

Merkel succeeds Gerhard Schroeder, who has had strained relations with the Bush administration.

Schroeder was an outspoken critic of the US-led war in Iraq.

Schroeder’s seven-year centre-left government was ousted by voters on September 18.

But lacking a majority, Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union has been forced into a coalition with Schroeder’s Social Democrats.