Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Thursday hailed newly re-elected U.S. President Barack Obama for his active involvement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and expressed his hope that in his new term Obama will still strengthen and expand ties with the bloc.

"I have painstakingly observed the U.S. involvement in strengthening partnership the ASEAN," the premier said at a graduation ceremony of students at the Chenla University.

"Since President Barack Obama came to power. The Summits between the ASEAN and the United States, which were not happened before, have been held every year in different places," he said.

He said that the ASEAN-U.S. Leaders' Meeting was firstly held in Singapore in 2009, later, in New York in 2010 and in Indonesia' s Bali in 2011.

"And if there is no any change, the U.S. president will come to Phnom Penh City in order to attend the 4th ASEAN-U.S. Leaders' Meeting and the 7th East Asia Summit," he said, adding that "The U.S. focus on Asia-Pacific region is a contribution for the development in our region."

He said that as the chair of ASEAN, Cambodia wanted Obama to maintain and enhance the relationship between the ASEAN and the United States in his new four-year term in the White House.

Cambodia will host the 21st ASEAN Summit and related Summits from Nov. 15 to 20 at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.

Hun Sen on Thursday also appealed to residents in Phnom Penh to keep dignity and maintain public order in order to together lead the forthcoming Summits successfully.

"Leaders of powerful countries, the United States, the world first largest economy, China, the second largest economy, and Japan, the third largest economy, will come to Cambodia for the Summit and related Summits, so I'd like to appeal to people to keep dignity in the status of the host country of the 21st ASEAN Summit this year," the premier said.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Enditem

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