More telephone diplomacy for Obama

US President-elect Barack Obama spoke with seven world leaders by phone yesterday, as he continues to prepare for taking office January 20.

Mr Obama, who also held his first post-election news conference, spoke with President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy, President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan, President Lech Kaczynski and Prime Minister Donald Tusk of Poland, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero of Spain.

On Thursday, Mr Obama accepted congratulations from nine presidents and prime ministers, returning calls from world leaders who reached out after his presidential victory.

The global financial crisis was among the topics Mr Obama discussed with key US allies he’ll deal with during his administration.

Obama spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter said the president-elect spoke on Thursday to Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, Mexican President Felipe Calderon, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.