HAVANA: Cuba`s foreign ministry said on Friday it had issued a verbal warning to the top US diplomat in Havana complaining of behavior it called `interventionist,` the latest escalation as tensions grow between the two long-time foes.

Cuba said US Chief of Mission Mike Hammer had incited `Cuban citizens to commit serious criminal acts, attack the constitutional order, or encourage them to act against the authorities,` calling his actions a violation of the Vienna Convention norms on diplomatic relations.

`The immunity he enjoys as a representative of his country cannotbe used as coverforactscontrarytothe sovereignty and internal order of the country to which he is accredited, in this case Cuba,` the statement said.

Hammer, a career US diplomat who arrived in Cuba six months ago, has travelled the island widely to meet with political dissidents, raising the ire of the Cuban government, which accuses him of seeking to foment unrest. The US State Department defended Hammer`s actions.

`Chief of Mission Mike Hammer and the US Embassy proudly represent President Trump by implementing an America First foreign policy and seeking accountability for the Cuban regime for its malign influence across the Americas,` a State Department official said.

`We will continue to meet with Cuban patriots, religious leaders, and those fighting for the freedoms of Cubans,` the official said.-Reuters