Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday congratulated US President Barack Obama on his re-election, saying he hopes the bilateral relations between the two countries "could further expand on the basis of mutual interests of the two countries", dpa reported.
Karzai made the statement through his palace while on an official trip to Indonesia to participate in the fifth Bali Democracy Forum.
Relations have been strained between Karzai and US officials, despite US military and financial support for his administration.
Karzai has come under political pressure from citizens, outraged by civilian casualties from the clashes between foreign troops - mostly from the US - and insurgents since the Taliban were ousted in 2001.
Next year, Afghanistan and the United States are set to discuss a bilateral military agreement on the role and responsibilities of the US and NATO soldiers after 2014, the scheduled date for the end of the foreign military presence in the country.