Barack Obama lifts Vietnam’s arms export embargo

US president Barack Obama lifted a decades-old arms export embargo for Vietnam during his first visit to the communist country, looking to bolster a government seen as a crucial, though flawed partner even as he pushes for better human rights from the one-party state.

He announced the full removal of the embargo at a news conference, saying the move was intended to step towards normalising relations with the former war enemy and to eliminate a “lingering vestige of the Cold War”.

“At this stage both sides have developed a level of trust and co-operation,” he said, adding that he expected deepening co-operation between the two nations’ militaries.