Among the first countries to express sympathy were Turkey and Spain, both of which have experienced recent deadly bomb attacks attributed to extremist groups.

Britain and France said violence was not the answer to the conflict in the Caucasus republic.

"I condemn the terrorist attack committed in Grozny today in which President Kadyrov was killed," said the EU foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, after the blast at a Victory Day celebration in the Chechen capital.

The European Commission, the EU's executive, said in a statement, "This heinous attack illustrates the need to further improve international coordination against terrorism worldwide."

It added: "The commission will continue to support efforts to find a political solution which is agreeable to the majority of the Chechen population and respects the territorial integrity of the Russian federation."

The attack occurred early Sunday at a stadium in Grozny on the occasion of a ceremony commemorating the 1945 victory over Nazi Germany.

Turkey was swift to condemn the bombing, denouncing "all forms of terrorism, whatever the motive."

In November 2003 four massive car bomb attacks in Istanbul against two synagogues and two British targets left 63 people dead and hundreds wounded.

"We condemn with the greatest force this terrorist attack and stress once more that terrorism will never resolve the current problems," the Foreign Ministry said.

It added that the conflict in the separatist Russian republic should be resolved in the framework of Russian sovereignty.

Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero of Spain telephoned President Vladimir Putin of Russia to express sympathy over the bomb blast, the Kremlin said.

Bombings of trains in Madrid by a group suspected of links with Al Qaeda killed 191 people on March 11.

Zapatero expressed "his profound and sincere condolences and solidarity in the name of all the Spanish people" after the "barbarian terrorist act in Grozny," the Kremlin press service said.

France condemned the killing and said the attack underlined the need for a political settlement.

Paris "reaffirms that no form of terrorism, whatever the cause it claims to serve, can be justified," a Foreign Ministry statement said.

"France emphasizes that the conflict in Chechnya can only be resolved in a lasting way by a political solution which allows for a way out of the spiral of violence in the respect of the integrity of the territory of the Russian Federation."

In London, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw also condemned the "terrorist" bomb attack.

"I would like to express my sincere condolences for the death of President Kadyrov and all of the innocent victims killed and wounded in this terrorist attack," Straw said.

"It seems all the more terrible, coming on a day when Russia is recognizing the heroism and sacrifice of its soldiers during the Second World War," Straw added in a written statement. "The situation in Chechnya can never be resolved by violence and assassination."

In Strasbourg, the Council of Europe said the assassination should be "universally deplored."