San Juan, February 6 (RHC) -- The Jamaican government said Thursday that the expected end of the 53-year-old U.S. economic blockade against Cuba could translate into new business opportunities for Jamaica, the Latin American Herald Tribune reports.

“Lifting of the blockade will open the door to increased trade, investment and business opportunities for manufacturers, service providers and agribusiness, and of course, for our exporters,” State Minister for Industry, Investment and Commerce Sharon Folkes said.

Jamaica has a long history of trade and cultural exchange with Cuba, the ministry said in a statement, adding that the Jamaica Promotions Corporation is drafting a market development plan to take advantage of the thaw between Washington and Havana.

Folkes pointed to an immediate prospect of working with Cuba to attract investors in the business-process outsourcing sector, particularly for multilingual facilities.

“Given the deep and excellent ties between our two governments and people, we are seeking to further strengthen those relations in terms of business and bilateral trade,” the Cuban ambassador to Jamaica, Bernardo Guanche Hernandez, said during an Export to Cuba workshop in Kingston.