WASHINGTON, May 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President George W. Bush telephoned French president-elect Nicolas Sarkozy to congratulate him on his victory in the French presidential election on Sunday, National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.

    "President Bush called president-elect Nicolas Sarkozy to congratulate him on his victory," Johndroe said.

    "The United States and France are historic allies and partners. President Bush looks forward to working with president-elect Sarkozy as we continue our strong alliance," Johndroe said.

    The statement was made after Nicolas Sarkozy of the right-wing Union for a Popular Movement won the French presidential run-off on Sunday, scoring a handy victory over Segolene Royal of the left-wing Socialist Party.

    Sarkozy won 53 percent of the vote against 47 percent for Royal, who saw her chances of becoming France's first woman president dashed, according to projections by pollsters broadcast by TV channels.

    Relations between France and the United States became tense in 2003 after outgoing French President Jacques Chirac strongly objected to the Iraq war launched by the United States at that time.