Bangkok  - The secretary-general of Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Wednesday welcomed the election of Barack Obama as a leader more inclined to work with the world.

"I congratulate the people of the US for electing a president who is ready to work with the world," said ASEAN secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan. "ASEAN is ready to cooperate with the new administration."

Surin expressed confidence that Obama would favour multilateralism in his approach to foreign affairs as opposed to the unilateralism that came to characterize the administration of Republican President George W. Bush.

"I don't think he will be a cowboy, riding a horse alone," said Surin of Obama. "I don't think we'll hear from Obama that if you're not with me you're against me," said Surin, recalling Bush's notorious statement when launching his war on terrorism.

Surin, a former Thai foreign minister, heads the secretariat of ASEAN, which groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia are predominately Muslim countries, and Thailand and the Philippines are fighting Muslim-separatist movements.

While ASEAN as a whole supported Bush's "war on terrorism" that policy focus strained relations with the region and tended to initially bolster Muslim militancy rather than undermine it.

Surin, a Muslim, said he anticipated a more multilateral approach to foreign affairs from the coming Obama administration, and greater sympathy towards third world problems.

"At the very least Obama has an attachment to the third world," said Surin, in an interview with Thailand's TNN True News Network. "The election of Obama is supported by Africa and Asia," said the ASEAN chief, noting Obama's personal background as the son of a Kenyan national and the six years spent in his youth in Indonesia. (dpa)