Brussels - The European Union's top officials on Thursday strongly condemned the "heinous" Mumbai terrorist attacks that have killed 101 people and vowed to send immediate aid to European citizens caught up in the attack. The justice ministers of the bloc's 27 member states interrupted a scheduled meeting in Brussels to hold an emergency discussion on the attacks, officials in the EU capital confirmed.
The ministers "condemned the attacks most strongly, conveyed their condolences to the families of the victims ... and expressed their solidarity with the Indian authorities under these tragic circumstances," a statement said.
They also discussed the measures each state has put in place to help those of its citizens who were affected by the attacks.
"Emergency medical, consular and evacuation facilities are on the way to Mumbai," the statement said.
The ministers also called for reinforced cooperation with non-EU states to fight against international terrorism.
Separately, the bloc's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, said the attacks "show once again the need for the international community to stand united against terrorism and fight it with determination."
Previously, the European Commission had issued a statement condemning "in the strongest terms the heinous terrorist attacks."
"Terrorism is never justified and is no means to achieve any goal. We stand by the Indian government in its fight against terrorism. Our thoughts are with the families who have lost loved ones and we wish a speedy recovery to those injured," the statement by the EU's executive arm said.
In a separate statement, the French government, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, said that it had heard of the attacks with "horror and indignation" and "condemned them with the greatest rigour."
The presidency "knows the attachment the people of India have to democracy" and "stands by their side during this dramatic trial," the statement said.
