(Bloomberg) -- Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador called President-elect Joe Biden on Saturday to congratulate him on winning the election, one of the last major world leaders to recognize the future U.S. head of state.
Obrador, who struck up a close relationship with President Donald Trump, said last month that he didn't want to be “imprudent” and held off his congratulatory message. Obrador said at the time that votes from the Nov. 3 election were still being counted and the process wasn't over.
The phone call Saturday came after a letter Obrador sent earlier in the week to congratulate Biden after the Electoral College confirmed his victory on Dec. 14.
On the call, Biden and Obrador discussed migration, the coronavirus, boosting their economies and border security, according to a statement from the Biden-Harris transition team.
“The two leaders noted a shared desire to address the root causes of migration in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and southern Mexico,” it said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his congratulations by telegram on Dec. 15, while Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, who last month echoed Trump's allegations of voter fraud, also congratulated Biden on his victory earlier in the week.
Other world leaders -- including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who developed a rapport with Trump -- were much quicker to welcome Biden's election win, offering their congratulations within days of Americans going to the polls.
Some said they hoped the Democratic president-elect would spur a reset in ties, bringing a renewed focus on global issues such as climate change, and a more collaborative response to the coronavirus pandemic.
World Leaders Welcome Biden Win as They Seek Reset in U.S. Ties
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