For Vietnam, trade with US top priority

Progress on an ambitious regional free-trade pact topped the agenda as Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang Wednesday began a three-day visit to the US, an indication of Vietnam’s keenness to boost trade with its former foe.
Sang was the second Vietnamese president to visit the White House since the normalization of bilateral ties in 1995 when he is meeting Barack Obama Thursday morning. The previous visit was by Nguyen Minh Triet in 2007.

At a luncheon hosted by Secretary of State John Kerry Wednesday, Sang voiced hope the 12 nations in talks for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) would strike an agreement "soon" on the potentially landmark pact, AFP reported.