NEW YORK, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday vowed to deepen relations between the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), saying his country has an enormous stake in the region.

Obama made the remarks at the opening speech of the U.S.-ASEAN meeting held here on the sidelines of the general debate of the UN General Assembly.

He said the United States needs partnerships with Asian nations to meet challenges on economy, proliferation and climate change.

"As President, I've, therefore, made it clear that the United States intends to play a leadership role in Asia," he said.

Obama said the cooperation between the United States and the regional bloc will focus on creating sustainable economic growth, as well as on deepening political and security cooperation.

ASEAN is a regional organization that groups ten countries in Southeast Asia.

The Obama administration, since it took office in Jan. 2009, has been stepping up efforts to restore its influence in Southeast Asia, a region ignored by the Bush administration.

Having met with all ten ASEAN leaders last year in Singapore, Obama has confirmed that he will attend the East Asia summit due to be held next year in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia.