U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry lauded the EU decision to include Hizbullah’s military wing in its list of terrorist organizations, in a statement he published Monday evening.

“We applaud the European Union (EU) for the important step it has taken today in agreeing to designate the military wing of Hizbullah as a terrorist organization,” the statement read.

“With today’s action, the EU is sending a strong message to Hizbullah that it cannot operate with impunity, and that there are consequences for its actions, including last year’s deadly attack in Burgas, Bulgaria, and for plotting a similar attack in Cyprus.

“This designation will have a significant impact on Hizbullah’s ability to operate freely in Europe by enabling European law enforcement agencies to crack down on Hizbullah’s fundraising, logistical activity, and terrorist plotting on European soil.

“As Hizbullah has deepened its support for the brutal Assad regime and worked to expand its global reach through increased involvement in international criminal schemes and terrorist plots around the world, a growing number of governments are recognizing Hizbullah as the dangerous and destabilizing terrorist organization that it is.

“We call on other governments to follow the EU’s lead, and to take steps to begin reining in Hizbullah’s terrorist and criminal activities.”