President Obama told more than 2,000 people at the National Convention Center in Hanoi Tuesday that the U.S. is committed to fully normalized relations with Vietnam, its one-time enemy in Southeast Asia.

“But now we can say something that was once unimaginable: today Vietnam and the United States are partners,” Obama said. “And I believe our experience holds lessons for the world. At a time when many conflicts seem intractable … we have shown that hearts can change and that a different future is possible when we refuse to be prisoners of the past.”