Obama heads to Vietnam, Japan in effort to boost trade, diplomatic relations

U.S. President Barack Obama is leaving on a weeklong, 26,000-kilometre trip to Asia as part of his effort to pay more attention to the region and boost economic and security cooperation.

He'll spend three days in Vietnam, with stops in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, for meetings with top leaders, a speech on U.S.-Vietnam relations, visits to cultural treasures and sessions with civic leaders and entrepreneurs. From Vietnam, he heads to Japan for a summit of the Group of Seven industrialized nations and a historic visit to Hiroshima.

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Along the way, Obama will make a big push for the 12-nation Trans-Pacific trade agreement, which includes the U.S., Vietnam and Japan. The deal is stalled in Congress, but Obama hopes it will one day increase trans-Pacific trade and make it easier for U.S. workers and companies to sell goodsin Asia. The deal faces strong opposition from the leading 2016 presidential candidates and other critics, who say it doesn't do enough to protect U.S. workers from unfair competition.

Human rights a focal point in visit

A key sticking point during Obama's stay in Vietnam will be human rights. Five Republican senators sent the president a letter Friday labelling Vietnam "one of the most repressive regimes in the world" and urging Obama to press Vietnamese leaders to do more to respect freedom of religion and expression and other human rights. The letter was signed by SenatorsMarco Rubio of Florida, John Boozman of Arkansas, John Cornyn of Texas, James Lankford of Oklahoma and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana.

Obama will become the third American president in a row to travel to the Southeast Asian nation, after Bill Clinton in 2000 and George W. Bush in 2006.

Hours before Obama's scheduled departure, Vietnam granted early release from prison to a Catholic priest who is one of its most prominent dissidents. The move is widely viewed as a goodwill gesture before the president arrives in Hanoi late Sunday night for an official visit.

The Catholic archdiocese of the city of Hue in central Vietnam reported on its webpage that it welcomed the return Friday of the Rev. Nguyen Van Ly from prison. Ly, 70, has served several long terms in prison or under house arrest for promoting political and religious freedoms in the communist nation.

Canada a stop on Obama's farewell tour

Obama's final year in office is heavy with foreign travel as he conducts what amounts to a long, global farewell tour.

He's already made a historic trip to Cuba and visited Saudi Arabia, Germany and Britain.

He's due to make a daytrip to Canada next month, attend a NATO summit in Poland in July and expected to become the first president to visit Laos in the fall.

He's also expected to attend a fall summit of the Group of 20 industrial and emerging-market nations in China and an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru in November.