Why did Obama visit Vietnam at the end of his term?

When asked why he visited Vietnam at the end of his term, US President Obama answered very cleverly: Good things are always saved for last.

During the joint press conference between President Tran Dai Quang and President of the United States Barack Obama, reporters asked why his visit to Vietnam was made at the end of his term as well as Mr. Obama's comments on the relationship between the two countries at the present time.

President Tran Dai Quang and US President Barack Obama at a joint press conference in Hanoi, May 23, 2016. Photo: The Guardian.

“You have officially visited more than 50 countries during your term as President. Vietnam is almost the last country (that you visited) during your term. So how do you evaluate the Vietnam-US relationship and the importance of Vietnam to the US foreign policy?”, the reporter asked.

In response to this question, President Obama gave a very tactful answer that, as Americans often say, "Save the best for last." He also expressed his interest in Vietnamese culture and hoped to visit the country on another occasion, when he was no longer busy with his work as President.

“I would love to visit Vietnam sooner. Americans have a famous saying, ‘The best is always saved for last.’ Vietnam is a beautiful and memorable country. And I told the President that I am too busy right now and have meetings all day long… Hopefully, one day, when I am no longer president, I will come back here with my family, spend all my time exploring the culture, learning about the people, the cuisine, and have more interesting schedules (in Vietnam),” Mr. Obama shared.

He also re-emphasized the importance of Vietnam to affirm his views on the relationship between the two countries. “I am here because Vietnam is a country that plays an important role in the region as well as the world,” Mr. Obama emphasized. In addition, he said that the visit aimed to highlight the increasingly developing relationship between the two countries. This is proven in history, from the time when the two countries were former enemies during the war, Vietnam and the United States have now become comprehensive partners. In addition, the outstanding growth of Vietnam's economy has made a good impression on the world. Vietnam has an outstanding economic growth index in the Asia-Pacific region. Vietnam is also a country with a very good entrepreneurial spirit that the United States really wants to cooperate with.

Mr. Obama also emphasized Vietnam's role in multilateral forums such as ASEAN and stated that cooperation between the United States and Vietnam will jointly deal with regional and global challenges, and together with partners build an order in accordance with international law in the region.

"I came to Vietnam because it is an important country politically. It is a growing country with many young, creative businesses. The United States wants to be a part of that flow. The United States also hopes that as Vietnam grows, young people in Vietnam will have the opportunity to cooperate with young people in the United States," said President Barack Obama.

According to Infonet.vn