(VOVworld) - President Barack Obama's administration will announce further measures to ease travel and trade restrictions on Cuba on March 17, ahead of his historic visit to Cuba this month, US congressional sources said on Tuesday.

US President Barack Obama (Photo: AFP)

Though details are still being finalized, the measures are expected to include changes which will make it easier for individual Americans to visit Cuba if they qualify under 12 authorized categories of travel such as educational or cultural visits, as well as further loosening of trade and banking rules. Obama will fly to Havana for a March 21-22 visit in another step aimed at ending decades of animosity between the former Cold War foes, said the White House on February 18. It will be the first visit to Cuba by a sitting U.S. president since 1928.