President Obama announced the lifting of the arms embargo on Vietnam

Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang said on May 23 that the United States has decided to "completely lift" the ban on selling lethal weapons to Vietnam.

President Tran Dai Quang welcomes US President Barack Obama. (Photo: Nhan Sang - VNA)

"Vietnam highly appreciates the US decision to completely lift the ban on the sale of lethal weapons to Vietnam and this is clear evidence that the two countries have completely normalized relations," the President affirmed at a joint press conference with President Obama.

For his part, Mr. Obama declared: "The United States will completely lift the ban on selling military weapons to Vietnam, which has been imposed for about 50 years."

The US president stressed that the move had erased "a lingering vestige of the Cold War" and he also said the two countries had "developed a level of trust and cooperation."

President Obama is making an official visit to Vietnam, at the invitation of President Tran Dai Quang.

This is the first visit to Vietnam by US President Barack Obama and the third visit by a US President to Vietnam since the two countries normalized relations in 1995 (after President Bill Clinton - in 2000 and President George W. Bush - in 2006).

The official visit to Vietnam by US President Barack Obama will contribute to consolidating and strengthening the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Partnership; implementing high-level agreements that have been reached; exchanging measures and directions to promote bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues of mutual concern./.

According to Vietnamplus