U.S. President Barack Obama arrived in Vietnam late on Sunday for a three-day trip. He's the third post-war president to visit Vietnam after Bill Clinton, and George W Bush.

Vietnamese foreign ministry officials greeted the president as he arrived at Hanoi airport.

Obama is scheduled to talk with the country's top leaders later today. On Tuesday he will fly to Ho Chi Minh City, the southern Vietnamese metropolis and the country's thriving commercial heart.

The visit is seen by both sides as a chance to boost defense and economic ties.

After Vietnam, Obama will fly to Japan for a trip that will include both a G7 summit and a visit to Hiroshima.