U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday called new Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny and offered his strong support.

Obama congratulated Enda on assuming his office and wished him good luck as the new Taoiseach, the White House said, noting that the president assured the prime minister of the U.S.' "strong support" for Ireland.

The two leaders expressed their commitment to strengthening the "enduring bond" between Ireland and the United States and advancing the interests of their two peoples through "close cooperation," the White House said.

It said Kenny accepted Obama's invitation to the White House on Saint Patrick's Day on March 17, and they "look forward to continuing their discussion on events in Libya and other international and domestic issues" in their Oval Office meeting.

Once called "Celtic Tiger" during a period of rapid economic growth in the late 1990s and early 2000s, debt-saddled Ireland had to accept in late November international bailout funds worth 8.5 billion euros (11.6 billion U.S. dollars) from the International Monetary Fund and the European Union at a 5.8-percent interest rate, plunging the country into political turmoil.

Fine Gael (United Ireland Party) led by Kenny won but without an overall majority in the early general election on Feb. 25, the country's first national poll since its financial bailout. It formed a coalition government with the Labor party.