“[Vietnam is] a remarkable country. It’s a beautiful country. And I told the President that, unfortunately, when I visit, I’m usually in meetings all day long. So hopefully, when I’m no longer President, I can come here with my family and I can spend a little more time, and travel the country a little bit more, and get to know the people and eat the food, and have a more relaxing schedule,” said Obama.
He said to look forward to meet Vietnamese people this afternoon, "maybe I will enjoy some cafe sua da (iced milk coffee)," he speaks in Vietnamese.
Obama, the third U.S. president to visit Vietnam since 1995, added that the reason for his visit this time is because “Vietnam is extremely important, not just to the region, but also to the world”.
Obama also announced on Monday that Washington will fully lift its embargo on the sale of lethal arms to Vietnam.
He was also confident that the Trans-Pacific Partnership will be approved by the U.S. Senate and the trade deal “could end up being of extraordinary significance”.
At a state luncheon in Hanoi, Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang toasted Obama's first visit to the country as the arrival of a warm spring after a cold winter.