Brussels, 06/02/2004 (Agence Europe) - Romano Prodi president of the European Commission, Javier Solana EU High Representative for CFSP expressed their sympathies on Friday for the victims and victims' families of the morning's explosion in the Moscow metro. "I am deeply saddened by the news of the tragic loss of life provoked by the explosion in the Moscow underground this morning. I offer my heartfelt condolences to the Russian people, as well as to the Federal and Moscow City authorities. They can rely on the European Union's full solidarity and support at this time of mourning".
In a press statement, the president of the parliamentary assembly, Peter Schieder and the secretary general of the Council of Europe Walter Schwimmer condemned the bomb attack in the Moscow metro and called for an end to the political violence.
Diego de Ojeda, spokesperson for the Commissioner for External Relations, Chris Patten, confirmed on Friday that the EU and Russia were discussing the possibility of setting up a European office to offer humanitarian assistance to the victims of the Russian/Chechen conflict but that because of security reasons they thought that this would be better in Inguchia, a neighbouring republic of Chechnya (see our bulletin of 6 February p 14).