The U.S. government has congratulated Egyptian President-elect Mohammed Morsi on his election victory.

Calling Morsi’s election a milestone in Egypt’s transition to democracy, Washington asked the president-elect and his government to play a central role in building peace in the region.

In a statement, the White House said it would work with Morsi and his government on the basis of mutual respect to advance shared interests between the two nations.

The White House also underlined the importance of respecting divergent opinions from all sides of the political sphere when forming a new government, stressing that the U.S. will work with all political factions in Egypt as it moves forward.