EU tells Serbia to protect embassies

BELGRADE (Reuters) - The European Union told Serbia onFriday to protect foreign embassies after an attack on the U.S.embassy that killed one person, and suggested violence couldharm its prospects of closer ties with the bloc.

Serbian rioters, enraged by Kosovo's secession, stormed theU.S. embassy in Belgrade and set it on fire on Thursday. Acharred body was found inside, probably that of a protesterafter U.S. officials said all their staff were accounted for.

Washington and the U.N. Security Council condemned theviolence, which Serbia blamed on "isolated vandals".

European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said on avisit to Slovenia that it was "the obligation of the country"to protect foreign embassies.

"Things will have to calm down before we can recuperate theclimate that would allow for any contact to move on the SAA(Stabilisation and Association Agreement)," he said of apreliminary deal on ties with the European Union.

The pact was initialised last year but the European Unionhas said it will not sign it until Belgrade fully cooperateswith the U.N. war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

Russia, Serbia's ally and critic of Kosovo's secession,said Western states should have anticipated the backlash.

"People who advocated a unilateral proclamation ofindependence for Kosovo, should have calculated theconsequences of this step," Russian Foreign Ministry chiefspokesman Mikhail Kamynin was quoted as saying by RIA newsagency.

Rallies were planned for Friday in the southern city ofNis, the northern Kosovo town of Mitrovica and the Montenegrincapital Podgorica, organised by the neighbouring country's30-percent ethnic Serb minority.

CHEERS, SMOKE

Serbs in former Yugoslavia have been protesting againstKosovo's independence, which was declared on Sunday and quicklyrecognised by Washington and most EU states.

On Thursday, about 200,000 people attended a peacefulstate-backed rally, listening to speeches and songs about whatthey consider Serbia's historic heartland in a mostlymelancholy atmosphere.

But police were nowhere to be seen when a few hundredrioters attacked the U.S. embassy for the second time in aweek.

A crowd of about 1,000 cheered "Serbia, Serbia" one rippedthe Stars and Stripes off its pole and others jumped up anddown on a balcony, holding a Serbian flag.

Smoke billowed out of the embassy as papers and chairs werethrown out of windows and burning doors were wedged in theframes.

American officials said only security personnel were at theembassy at the time, in a different area. Riot police arrivedlater and fired teargas to disperse the crowds.

Hospital officials said around 150 people were injured instreet clashes, including 30 police and some journalists.

European and U.S. leaders criticised Serbia for failing todispatch police quickly.

"I only wish the Serbian police had intervened morequickly," said German Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung inSlovenia.

Serbia waged a diplomatic campaign against Kosovo'ssecession, condemning its swift recognition by the U.S. andmajor EU countries such as Germany, France and Britain.

"As long as we live, Kosovo is Serbia," Prime MinisterVojislav Kostunica told the rally.

(Editing by Elizabeth Piper)