The European Union's foreign policy chief on Saturday condemned unreservedly the New Year bomb attack on a church in Alexandria which left 17 people dead, dpa reported.
The attack, blamed by Egypt on foreign forces, comes as extremist Islamist groups linked to al-Qaeda threaten widespread attacks on Christian civilians in the Middle East.
EU High Representative Catherine Ashton is "deeply saddened" by the attack and "condemns unreservedly the attack against innocent Copt (Christian) worshippers," her spokeswoman said in a statement.
The attack triggered demonstrations by hundreds of Egyptian Christians, who claimed that the government had not taken the terrorist threat seriously.
"There cannot be any justification for this attack. The right of Christian Copts to gather and worship freely must be protected," Ashton said.