Phnom Penh, Oct 30 (IANS): Cambodia on Wednesday held a mass gathering to mark the 20th anniversary of King Norodom Sihamoni's coronation, touting the kingdom for peace and rapid socio-economic development over the past two decades.

Sihamoni, accompanied by Prime Minister Hun Manet and other national leaders, attended the ceremony, held in front of the Royal Palace, with nearly 12,000 participants, Xinhua reported.

Addressing the gathering, the monarch said the celebration was organised at a time when political stability and national security were fully guaranteed.

The king praised Hun Manet for laying out the first stage of the Pentagonal Strategy, implementing policies along the noble path, and the political legacy of former Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen.

In a congratulatory message to the king, Hun Manet highly spoke of the monarch's noble role and great contribution to the nation, religion and socio-economic development.

Sihamoni, 71, was inaugurated and formally anointed as the king of Cambodia on October 29, 2004, after his father, the late King Norodom Sihanouk, abdicated due to a health problem.

The Southeast Asian country held a three-day celebration from Monday to Wednesday to mark the 20th anniversary of Sihamoni's ascension to the throne, with an elaborate religious ceremony, a mass gathering, a king's photograph exhibition, and a three-night fireworks display.