European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana urged for calm and restraint on Friday following Thursday's violence in Belgrade, Serbia.
"The violence in Belgrade and the attacks on embassies there yesterday evening are totally unacceptable," he said in a short statement.
"Violence can lead nowhere, " he added. calling for "calm, restraint and responsible behavior by all parties."
On the same day, EU Commissioner for enlargement affairs Olli Rehn strongly condemned the "attacks against foreign embassies and economic assets in Belgrade which caused important material damage and put human life in danger."
"We respect the democratic right of the Serbian people to voice their opinion on developments in Kosovo, but the use of violence for expressing one's opinion is unacceptable," Rehn said in a statement.
He urged the Serbian authorities to ensure the proper protection of diplomatic missions in the country, appealing for calm in Serbia and in the wider region.
"We urge all Serbian politicians to call for restraint and avoid statements that could further inflame the situation," Rehn concluded.
Kosovo, a breakaway province of Serbia, has been under UN administration since 1999. The ethnic Albanian-dominated Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence from Serbia on Feb. 17. Belgrade has said the proclamation is null and void.
A series of incidents occurred recently in protest of the independence of Kosovo, Serbia's southern province.
Serbian protestors attacked the U.S. and Croatian embassies in Belgrade on Thursday, they attacked the U.S. and Slovenian embassies on Sunday, inflicting property destructions.
Kosovo Serb protestors on Tuesday destroyed two UN customs checkpoints and several vehicles on the border between Kosovo and central Serbia.
Source: Xinhua
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