Obama congratulates Australia’s Julia Gillard on becoming prime minister, forming government

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Obama congratulates Australian PM on forming govt

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has congratulated Julia Gillard on becoming Australia’s newest prime minister and on forming a government after a 17-day deadlock.

The White House says Obama telephoned Gillard on Tuesday to relay his personal commitment to the relationship between the U.S. and Australia. And he said he looked forward to working with Gillard at a pair of international economic summits in November.

Gillard managed Tuesday to persuade two holdout lawmakers to support her center-left Labor Party to form the first minority government in the House of Representatives in 67 years. Gillard also is Australia’s first female prime minister.