Direct talks between the United States and Cuba on the issue of immigration will be resumed in New York on Tuesday, reports in Washington quoted a U.S. official as saying on Monday.

The official, who asked not to be named, said the talks would be held Tuesday at the UN headquarters in New York.

The U.S.-Cuba immigration talks, which aimed at preventing illegal Cuban migrants to the United Stats, had been suspended by the Bush administration since 2004.

Washington offered in mid-May to resume talks with Cuba about migration of Cuban nationals to the United States, a fresh sign of President Barack Obama's effort to engage with the island country.

The president, who vows to open a new beginning with Cuba, has also ordered to lift restrictions on travel and money transfers by Cuban-Americans to Cuba, and allowed American telecommunications firms to provide services for the Cubans.

Since the victory of the Cuban revolution in 1959, the U.S. administrations have invariably adopted a hostile policy toward Cuba. The United States severed relations with Cuba in 1961 and has imposed economic blockade and restrictive measures on trade with Cuba since 1962.

(Xinhua News Agency July 14, 2009)