New York - The Cuban government on Wednesday acceded to the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism and said it will not be responsible for weapons stored at the US naval base at Guantanamo. The convention is one of 13 existing international instruments the United Nations depends on to fight terrorism. This particular convention aims at eliminating any use of nuclear materials or weapons by terrorist groups.
"This sovereign decision of the Cuban government illustrates its irrevocable commitment to the fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations," Cuba said in a statement after depositing what is known as the instrument of accession to the convention at UN headquarters in New York.
But it also took a swipe at the United States, which still runs a chunk of the Cuban territory at Guantanamo. The base became notorious as a US detention center for alleged terrorists and supporters of the al Qaeda network.
The statement said Cuba remains opposed to the US-held naval base at Guantanamo.
"This facility is located in the province of Guantanamo, part of the Cuban territory over which the Cuban state does not exercise its rightful jurisdiction since it is illegally occupied by the United States," the statement said.
Cuba said it is not responsible for what the US has stored in the base.
"It (Cuba) has no knowledge whether the US has installed, possesses, keeps or has the intention to install nuclear materials, or even, nuclear weapons in that Cuban territory illegally occupied," Cuba said.
