WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama is preparing to visit Cuba as soon as March, a person briefed on the matter said on Wednesday.

Obama said in December that he would consider visiting Cuba as part of an opening to Havana that saw the two countries restore diplomatic ties and take steps toward expanded commercial relations.

A US official, asked about the prospects for a March visit by Obama, declined to discuss the timing for such a trip. "The president has said he would like to go if the conditions are right," the official said.

The White House declined comment.