WASHINGTON, Feb 2: President George Bush telephoned Bolivia’s new president, Evo Morales, on Wednesday and expressed hope for a dialogue with the leftist leader who during his campaign called his socialist party a nightmare for the United States.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Mr Bush congratulated Mr Morales on his election, praised the democratic process in Bolivia and said he wanted “a constructive US-Bolivian relationship and dialogue.”

Despite Mr Morales’s anti-American rhetoric during his campaign and his friendliness toward US antagonists Venezuela and Cuba, the Bush administration has sought to avoid a clash with him and is taking a wait-and-see approach.

Morales, a former coca leaf farmer who opposes US antinarcotics and trade policies, has toned down his rhetoric since winning office in December. He was inaugurated on Jan. 22.

US diplomats have described their meetings with Morales as good and are coordinating with South American powerhouses Brazil and Argentina to try to moderate his policies, especially his pledges to roll back some anti-drug programs.

The United States has avoided threatening Morales. It has also made clear to him that future US aid to one of Latin America’s poorest countries will depend on how well he fights a narcotics trade that helps supply cocaine to American cities, according to US diplomats.

During the call, Bush told Morales the United States was committed to “helping the Bolivian people realize their aspirations for a better life,” McClellan said.

Such calls from Bush to incoming leaders are customary, but he often telephones very close allies with congratulations within a day or two after an election. —Reuters