Italian Foreign minister Franco Frattini has said he was surprised by statements made by Romanian counterpart Cristian Diaconescu and that no member of the Italian Government ever used phrases that may be considered xenophobic, the website of the Adnkronos agency quoted by Romanian news agency Mediafax reads.

A press release of the Italian Foreign Ministry says Frattini was stupefied by the statements made by Diaconescu and that his government denounces any form of violence, regardless of the nationality of those involved.

Romanian Foreign minister Cristian Diaconescu criticized on the Romanian public radio on Tuesday the "provoking" attitude of some members of the Italian Government, saying that it may amount to instigation to xenophobia.