The State Department announced Friday that it will withdraw more than half of the staff from the US embassy in Cuba after the "incidents" reported by diplomats.Josefina Vidal Ferreiro, director general for the United States of Minrex, emphasized to the press that the Government of Cuba has no responsibility in the alleged facts and it fulfills seriously and rigorously its obligations with the Convention of Vienna on Diplomatic Relations. We consider that the decision announced by the State Department is hasty and will affect bilateral relations.
Declaration:
Today we have heard a statement from the State Department informing the decision of the US Government to reduce the staff of its Embassy in Havana.
As we informed last Tuesday, September 26, at the meeting held that day, on the proposal of the Cuban side, with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, our Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla:
• Warned him not to make hasty decisions that are not based on evidence or conclusive research results;
• Urged him not to politicize a matter of this nature; Y
• It reiterated its request for effective cooperation from the US authorities to carry out the ongoing investigation into the alleged incidents with US diplomats. in Havana.
I emphasize that the Government of Cuba has no responsibility whatsoever for the alleged acts and performs seriously and rigorously its obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, as regards the protection of the integrity of diplomatic agents accredited in the country and their families, without exception.
We consider that the decision announced by the State Department is hasty and will affect bilateral relations, in particular, cooperation on issues of mutual interest and exchanges of different nature between the two countries.
I wish to reiterate Cuba's willingness to continue an active cooperation between the authorities of the two countries, for the full clarification of these facts, for which a more efficient US involvement will be essential.