RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif., Feb 15 - U.S. President Barack Obama will visit Vietnam in May during a trip to Asia, a White House official said on Monday.

Obama accepted the invitation by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung during a meeting at a summit of Southeast Asian nations in California.

"The president and Prime Minister Dung discussed the continued strengthening of U.S.-Vietnam relations in 2015, which marked the 20th anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic relations," the official said.

"The leaders noted the importance of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, maritime security, and human rights to advancing bilateral relations," he said.