Obama congratulates Rousseff's reelection as Brazilian president

U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday congratulated Dilma Rousseff on her reelection as Brazil's president, vowing to deepen cooperation on commerce, energy and other areas.

In a phone conversation with Rousseff, who was reelected on Sunday, Obama stressed the "strategic value" of U.S.-Brazil ties and reaffirmed his commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation in areas like commerce and energy, the White House said in a statement.

It said Rousseff affirmed strengthening ties with the United States as a "priority" for her country.

Bilateral ties between the two countries took a downturn last year following revelations, based on documents leaked by U.S. whistleblower Edward Snowden, of extensive American digital surveillance on foreign leaders, including Rousseff and her advisers' private communications. In response, Rousseff canceled a planned trip to the United States in late October 2013. Enditem