New York Gov. Cuomo to travel to Cuba

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is reportedly planning to head to Cuba for a trade mission in the coming months.

The trip would likely be the first by a major U.S. public official to the communist nation, after the Obama administration began to relax embargo restrictions around the country.

{mosads}The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday that Cuomo will announce in his Wednesday state-of-the-state address that he is planning a trade mission to the nation, citing a person familiar with the matter.

Earlier this month, the Obama administration unveiled relaxed trade and travel restrictions to Cuba, making the president the first step to move towards normalizing relations with the nation in roughly 50 years.

Under the new rules, travelers who fit into one of a dozen categories will be allowed to travel to Cuba without applying for a license beforehand. Among the categories permitted for travel are government work, humanitarian work, research and education.

Cuomo, who recently began his second term as New York’s Democratic governor, is reporatedly planning five different trade missions during his second term, with Cuba serving as the first.