The US has said it is willing to resume talks with Cuba over legal migration, barred under former President George W Bush.

The offer on Friday comes six years after talks were suspended.

"We intend to use the renewal of talks to reaffirm both sides' commitment to face legal and orderly migration," a state department official said.

The official also said that the proposal was to "review trends in illegal Cuban migration to the United States and to improve operational relations with Cuba on migration issues".

The two nations had discussed the issue of legal migration bi-annually until talks were halted in 2003.

'Support Cubans'

However, under President Barack Obama the US has made motions to ease relations with Havana's communist government after decades of tension.

Darla Jordan, a department spokeswoman, said that Obama "wants to ensure that we are doing all we can to support the Cuban people in fulfilling their desire to live in freedom.

"He will continue to make policy decisions accordingly."

In April, Obama removed restrictions on US citizens travelling to Cuba to visit family members and on how much money they are able to send back to the island nation.

The offer comes ahead of a meeting for the Organisation of American States on June 2 in Honduras in which Cuba's re-entry into the bloc will be discussed.

However, both Obama and Hiliary Clinton, the US secretary of state, have said that democratic reforms are needed in Cuba before they are re-admitted to the grouping.