The Russian Foreign Ministry said yesterday that handling the violence in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region is China's internal affair and Moscow hopes the Chinese government's efforts will normalize the situation.

"We would like to emphasize that Russia considers Xinjiang an inseparable part of China and believes that what is going on there is exclusively an internal affair for China," the ministry said in a statement released in Moscow.

"We hope that the steps the Chinese authorities are taking to maintain public order in Xinjiang will soon help normalize the situation in that region," the statement said.

At least 156 people were killed during the riot on Sunday evening in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang. More than 1,000 others were injured.

Xinjiang police said they had evidence the separatist World Uyghur Congress had masterminded the riot.

Also yesterday, the government of Afghanistan expressed its support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of China.

"The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan supports and defends the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the People's Republic of China," said a statement of the Afghan Foreign Ministry released in Kabul yesterday.

It said Afghanistan is monitoring the recent development in Xinjiang and believes China can deal with the issue in accordance with its national interests.

"Afghanistan is committed to non-interference in the internal affairs of the People's Republic of China and supports the Chinese government's efforts in its war against terrorists and separatists," the statement said.

The European Union has called for "restraint on all sides" to bring a peaceful end to the unrest in Xinjiang.

The EU said in a statement it "deplores the loss of life and expresses its sympathy with the families of the victims."

(Xinhua News Agency July 9, 2009)