Cuba rejects Canadian decision to pull out families of diplomats

HAVANA, April 18 (Xinhua) -- The Cuban government said on Wednesday that Cuba is a safe country, rebuffing Canada's decision to declare its embassy in Havana as "a mission without accompanying relatives."

Ottawa's measure means its diplomats will not be allowed to bring their families with them to Cuba, due to the alleged acoustic attacks reported by Canadian and American diplomats in 2017.

"Cuba ratifies that a rigorous investigation carried out by a group of highly qualified experts did not find any evidence of the suffering reported by the Canadian diplomats, nor any sign of any attack or incident on Cuban soil," said an official statement issued by the island's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Cuban authorities said they respected the decision adopted by Canada but considered it "unjustified."

They stressed that the island is a safe country for the almost five million international tourists visiting the island every year, including more than one million Canadians.

Havana also highlighted its guarantee of protection for all diplomats accredited in the nation, no matter where they come from.

"Cuba will continue working closely with the Canadian government ... and through cooperation among correspondent agencies and high-level experts to find conclusive explanations for the reported ailments," said the foreign ministry.

The Cuban government invited medical experts from both sides to share all possible information, while respecting the privacy of those affected. Enditem