(Refiles to correct syntax and drop word "advertising" asdescriptor for Palco Group in paragraph 3)
LONDON, July 2 (Reuters) - WPP, the world's biggestadvertising group, is to appoint an executive in Cuba, saying onThursday it would be the first major internationalcommunications services group to conduct business on theCommunist-ruled island.
The move comes a day after the United States and Cubaformally agreed to restore diplomatic relations on July 20,setting up a trip to Havana by John Kerry, who would become thefirst U.S. secretary of state to visit the country in 70 years.
WPP, which is parent to the Ogilvy & Mather and J. WalterThomson advertising networks and already generates group revenueof $1.6 billion in Latin America, said it has signed a contractwith state-owned firm Palco Group under which it will base anexecutive in Havana.
The company said it had been in contact with a number ofCuban agencies and enterprises since February and had maintainedcontacts with Cuban and international firms to provide itsservices from a local base in the near future. (Reporting by Li-mei Hoang; Editing by David Holmes)