International Condemnation, Solidarity: Brussels Attacks a ’Black Day for Europe’

Local Editor

Belgium's European partners responded with shock and solidarity Tuesday after "terrorist attacks" at Brussels airport and a city metro station near the European Union's institutional heart left 20 people dead.

Russia and Turkey -- themselves targets of attacks in recent months -- condemned the blasts, saying they bore out the need to fight terrorism.

"Today is a black day for #Europe. The horrible events in #Brussels affect us all. We are steadfastly at the Belgians' side," German Justice Minister Heiko Maas said on Twitter.

"Our Union's capital is under attack. We mourn the dead & pledge to conquer terror through democracy," the Greek foreign ministry said in a tweet.

It added in French, "Nous sommes tous Bruxellois," -- "We are all citizens of Brussels."

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven described the blasts as "an attack against democratic Europe. We will never accept that terrorists attack our open societies."

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said: "My heart and spirit in Brussels, Europe," while Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said "the Brussels attacks strike the heart of our Europe."

Danish counterpart Lars Lokke Rasmussen denounced the blasts as a "despicable attack."

In other reactions, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the "barbarous crimes... demonstrate once again that terrorism has no borders and threatens people around the world. Fighting this evil calls for the most active international cooperation."

Turkish Foreign Minister Volkan Bozkir said: "Every effort must continue to fight terrorism without distinction and those who support terrorism."

Polish President Andrzej Duda indicated that "the fight against terrorism is the duty of every one of us."

Meanwhile, the Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic stated that "the world is shocked by these terrorist attacks, which jeopardize all the values of civilization that we strongly support."

EU foreign policy Chief Federica Mogherini said Tuesday's blasts in Brussels marked a "very sad day" for Europe, saying on a visit to Jordan it was now suffering like the Middle East.

"It is... a very sad day for Europe as Europe and its capital is suffering the same pain that this region has known and knows every single day," she said tearfully at a joint press conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh.

Lebanon's Hizbullah condemned the heinous crime against the innocent and "expresses solidarity with Belgium and Belgians in this difficult calamity".

For its part, the Lebanese Foreign Ministry denounced the attack, saying: "The extremists make us more determined to fight terrorism, and they are mistaken if they think they can break the civilized world through these attacks."

The Syrian opposition's so-called the High Negotiations Committee [HNC], said: "The people of Syria stand with the people of Belgium in solidarity... The world must stand united to defeat terrorism."

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team