Washington, January 31 (RHC-EFE)-- Democratic Sen. Richard Durbin said Friday that he is working on legislation to ease the U.S. blockade on agricultural and telecommunications exports to Cuba as a step toward normalizing relations between the two countries, according to Fox News.

"The President's (Obama's) announcement is just one step of the many we must take," Durbin told a press conference, adding that the bill he and a bipartisan group presented this week will end restrictions on U.S. citizens traveling to Cuba.

Durbin said the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act would also eliminate the existing red tape required for banking transactions related to such trips.

"I am hopeful that we will see legislation shortly that allows the free flow of agriculture and other products to Cuba - including the use of modern banking mechanisms to ease such trade," the lawmaker pointed out.

The senator cited figures from the Illinois Farm Bureau, which estimates that the state could export corn and soybean seeds to Cuba for $6.6 million, and add $11 million in other business as the market opens.