WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama says the process of normalizing relations with Cuba will take time, but there’s progress already.

Obama is marking the one-year anniversary of the announcement by the United States and Cuba of plans to restore relations.

Obama says both countries have taken important steps in that year to normalize relations. He’s pointing to embassies reopened, freer travel and commerce, and more information flowing in and out of Cuba.

And the former enemies are close to a deal on restoring regularly scheduled commercial flights.

Obama wants Congress to lift the economic embargo on Cuba.

He says the U.S. still has differences with Cuba, including on human rights, and will keep raising those issues. But he says change doesn’t happen overnight.