U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday called Naoto Kan to congratulate his election as Japan's new prime minister, and pledged to work together on issues including Iran and the Korean Peninsula, Xinhua reported.
"The two leaders agreed to work very closely together to address the many issues facing both nations and the global community, including the challenges posed by North Korea and Iran, " the White House said in a statement.
The statement said the two leaders emphasized the importance they each place on the U.S.-Japan Alliance.
Kan, former Japanese finance minister, has become Japan's sixth prime minister in five years after being approved by the Diet to replace Yukio Hatoyama, who resigned on Wednesday for his bungled handling of the relocation of a U.S. marine base in Okinawa.