EU urges Serbia to protect foreign embassies

"European Union officials called on Serbia on Friday to do more to protect foreign embassies targeted in protests against Kosovo's secession, warning the violence could have an impact on EU-Serbian ties.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana told reporters at an EU event in Slovenia that the violence could harm progress on a preliminary deal on ties with the European Union, the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA).

'Things will have to calm down before we can recuperate the climate that would allow for any contact to move on the SAA,' Solana said after the storming of the U.S. embassy in Belgrade and attacks on the German and British missions on Thursday.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said the European Union respected 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', he said."

Source: Reuters