Washington  - US President Barack Obama believes the pick on Thursday of Belgian Prime Minister Herman van Rompuy as the European Union's first full-time president could strengthen trans-Atlantic relations.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama "congratulates" van Rompuy on his election, as well as British Baroness Catherine Ashton, who was picked to become the EU's new foreign-policy chief.

"The United States has no stronger partner than Europe in advancing security and prosperity around the world. These two new positions ... will strengthen the EU and enable it to be an even stronger partner to the United States," the White House statement said.

Van Rompuy and Ashton were named to the posts earlier Thursday at a summit in Brussels of leaders of the 27-member bloc. Both are considered strong mediators but have limited political experience and are relative unknowns on the world stage. (dpa)