WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama called former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney on Wednesday to congratulate him for wrapping up the Republican U.S. presidential nomination and wish him well in their battle for the White House, Obama's campaign said.

"President Obama said that he looked forward to an important and healthy debate about America's future, and wished Governor Romney and his family well throughout the upcoming campaign," the Obama campaign said in a statement.

Romney, whose main rivals had long since dropped out of the race, clinched his party's nomination on Tuesday night after securing the number of delegates needed after the Texas Republican primary.

He will face Obama, a Democrat, in the November 6 election. Obama and Romney have met before but the president has said they are not friends. The race is expected to be close and largely negative in tone.

A Romney aide described the telephone call as brief and cordial. "Governor Romney thanked the president for his congratulations and wished him and his family well," the aide said.

Romney is due to formally accept the Republican nomination at the party's convention in Florida in late August. AGENCIES