"Barack Obama is a great leader with great potential for the future," Türk said at the start of an AmCham business breakfast with Slovenian presidential candidates in Ljubljana on Wednesday morning.

Obama's re-election is a "new energy and a revival of the characteristic American optimism", Türk said, adding that "Obama did a lot in his first term, proved that he's fighting for the right changes".

Speaking about Obama's achievements, Türk highlighted his health reform as well as his contribution to global stability.

"As Obama's supporter I'm glad he won. Even if [Mitt] Romney won, this would not much change relations between Slovenia and the US. I think the outcome is good," Speaker of the National Assembly Gregor Virant said at the event organised by the AmCham and US Embassy in the expectation of the results of the US elections.

"For Slovenia, Obama's re-election means a continuation of the excellent political relations. The political relations between the two countries are really very good, but there's always potential for economic cooperation. What we need most now is investment," Virant said.

Virant was hopeful cooperation with Slovenia was as important to the US as cooperation with the US was to Slovenia. "Last but not least, the Americans and Slovenians represent a combined five percent of the world's population," Virant joked.

He congratulated US Ambassador Joseph Mussomeli, who in his address to the event noted that it was probably the Slovenians living in Ohio who secured the victory for Obama. "I think this is worth remembering," the ambassador said, adding that the relations were important to both countries.

Congratulations upon Obama's re-election were also extended by Slovenian presidential contenders Milan Zver and Borut Pahor, who described Obama as a "great inspiration to everyone and a great hope for all the world".

"I think he is deservedly president again today and that he'll probably do even more than is expected of him in the next four years having no longer to worry about his re-election," Pahor said.

Zver expects Obama's second term to be considerably different from the first one when he "tried to deliver on the election promises four years ago, when he promised a major change".

Zver too singled out the health reform as one of Obama's biggest achievements which brought the US closer to the European life style.

He expects that in his second term he will be able to focus on the areas he neglected in the past, citing foreign policy, especially the deadlocked Middle East peace talks, and the efforts to boost the economy.

The US voters "obviously realised the US got on the right track in the latest term under President Barack Obama and they opted for continuity," AmCham Slovenia president Matej Potokar said.

But he also pointed to challenges ahead. "Now comes the moment of truth. There has been election race and election rhetoric. The problems for the US and the rest of the world remain. The voters obviously believed the platform presented by President Obama," he said.

Asked whether Obama's victory would give a new push to the combat against the crisis and the relations between the US and the EU, Potokar expressed his strong belief that cooperation between the EU and US would continue and possibly deepen further.

"The US and Europe are traditional partners. New trends bring new rules of the game, capital markets are moving elsewhere. Emerging economies are very aggressive and traditional markets such as the US or the EU will need to come even closer together to find their right place in the new situation."

But a surge in economic activity is not to be expected. "Elections as such don't bring economic growth," Potokar said, confident about positive developments in the future.