Obama congratulates Abbott and thanks Rudd US President Barack Obama may have given Tony Abbott a congratulations call, but he didn't forget his fallen mate Kevin Rudd. The White House released details on Thursday of the president's call with Australian prime minister-elect Abbott, detailing their conversations about Russia's proposal regarding Syria's chemical weapons, the full implementation of 2500 US Marines in Darwin and the importance of completing negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement. "The president also called outgoing prime minister Rudd," the White House said in the readout of the president's calls. The president thanked prime minister Rudd for his friendship, leadership, and unflinching support of the US-Australia relationship, as well as for his strong position on the Syrian regime's use of chemical weapons on August 21. In June, after Mr Rudd defeated Julia Gillard in the leadership spill, the US announced "regardless of the political leadership in Australia, our friendship will thrive and our tremendous international co-operation will continue." Mr Obama re-affirmed that in his call with Mr Abbott on Thursday. "The president called prime minister-elect Tony Abbott last night to congratulate him and the opposition coalition for his success in the Australia federal election on September 7," the White House said. The president and Mr Abbott discussed their grave concern about the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government, and the viability of the Russian proposal to put all Syrian chemical weapons and related materials fully under international control in order to ensure their verifiable and enforceable destruction. The president and prime minister-elect discussed ways to further strengthen the US-Australia alliance, including by implementing fully the force posture initiatives announced by the United States and Australia in November 2011. They also discussed the importance of concluding the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations this year. In a plan unveiled during Mr Obama's visit to Australia in 2011 when Ms Gillard was prime minister, more than 2500 Marines will be based in Darwin by 2016-17 as the US moves its strategic focus away from the Middle East and Europe to the Asia-Pacific. The TPP is a free trade agreement under negotiation between Australia, the US, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Singapore, Vietnam, South Korea, Brunei and Malaysia.