US President Barack Obama and the leader of Vietnam's Communist Party on Tuesday discussed the benefits of a Pacific Rim trade deal and underscored deepening relations between their countries 40 years after the end of the Vietnam War, dpa reported. The visit by Nguyen Phu Trong, the general secretary of the central committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, comes 20 years after the resumption of diplomatic ties between the nations. Nguyen is the second top official from the south-east Asian country to visit Obama in two years. Obama said they discussed the "enormous potential" of the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal that "could potentially create significant job growth and prosperity for both the Vietnamese and the American people." They also discussed maritime disputes with China in the South China Sea, calling for resolution through international law to ensure prosperity and freedom of navigation in the region. Nguyen invited Obama to visit Vietnam, and the president said he looked forward to visiting in the future but did not say when the trip would take place.
