US President Barack Obama spoke Monday with Italy's Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to congratulate him on his new office and "to reaffirm the deep and enduring bonds that the United States and Italy share." The White House said in a statement that Obama "expressed support for Prime Minister Renzi's leadership on creating economic growth and jobs." It added that Obama "and he looks forward to continued close US-Italian partnership on Afghanistan, Libya, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, and security and defense cooperation." "Both leaders welcomed their March meeting in Rome as an opportunity to build deeper bilateral cooperation on these and other matters of mutual interest," the statement added.