The United States on Sunday called for calm and urged all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from any provocative act after Kosovo declared independence.

"We note that today Kosovo declared its independence," the State Department said in a statement.

"The United States is now reviewing the issue and discussing the matter with its European partners," it said, without immediately declaring support for Kosovo's independence as it is strongly opposed by both Serbia and Russia.

Instead, it called on all parties in the region to "exercise the utmost restraint and to refrain from any provocative act."

"We welcome the clear commitment of the Kosovo government to protect ethnic minority communities. We are now reviewing this issue and discussing it with our European allies. We expect to issue a statement shortly," the statement said.

Prior to Kosovo's declaration of independence, Washington has repeatedly voiced support for Kosovo's independence as put forward in the plan by UN special envoy Martti Ahtisaari last year.

According to a report by the New York Times in January, the United States and Germany have agreed to recognize Kosovo, a Serbian province that has been under UN administration since 1999, after it declares independence and to urge the rest of Europe to follow suit.

In a recent conversation about Kosovo, U.S. President George W. Bush and German Chancellor Angela Merkel agreed to recognize Kosovo so as to stabilize the western Balkans, the report said, citing European officials.

However, the governments of Serbia and Russia have vehemently opposed the independence of Kosovo.