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The decision by the United States to expel two diplomats at the Cuban mission to the United Nations constitutes a severe violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said at a press conference on Friday

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th September, 2019) The decision by the United States to expel two diplomats at the Cuban mission to the United Nations constitutes a severe violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said at a press conference on Friday.

On Thursday, the US State Department demanded the imminent departure of two Cuban diplomats allegedly for abusing their privileges of residence and for attempting to conduct influence operations against the United States. The United States also restricted travel by Cuban mission employees to Manhattan, the home of the UN headquarters.

"We call on the international community, in particular, the diplomatic community, based in New York and accredited to the United Nations and even the United States, to reject these actions that constitute gross violation of the Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and politically aggressive motivated actions aimed to damage the relations with Cuba," Rodriguez said.

The US decision establishes a dangerous precedent to international rights and diplomatic relations and Cuba will retaliate in an appropriate way.

Cuba has been subject of a US trade embargo since the 1962 revolution, which toppled the US-backed government of Fulgencio Batista.

In 2015, then-US President Barack Obama announced the decision to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba and reopen embassies. Obama also relaxed the trade embargo and eliminated some restrictions on travel, money transfers and naval regulations.

In June 2017, President Donald Trump reversed the policy of his predecessor and abandoned attempts to normalize relations with Cuba. Last Friday, Trump signed an executive order to prolong the trade embargo on Cuba for another year.