(Reopens) In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday welcomed Barack Obama's re-election as president of the United States as a "very positive" step. "We hope that bilateral cooperation as well as our work together in the international realm continue and contribute to more stability," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev praised Obama as an "understanding and reliable" partner. In Islamabad, Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari congratulated his US counterpart Barack Obama on his re-election Wednesday, saying he was confident relations would "continue to prosper". "Pakistan is a key ally in the US war on terror." In Kabul, Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday congratulated US President Barack Obama on his re-election, saying he hopes the bilateral relations between the two countries "could further expand on the basis of mutual interests of the two countries." Karzai made the statement through his palace while on an official trip to Indonesia to participate in the fifth Bali Democracy Forum, according to a report of DPA. --SPA 14:24 LOCAL TIME 11:24 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/1046470