NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Tuesday praised coalition forces in Afghanistan for showing what he called remarkable “restraint and professionalism” in the face of anti-coalition violence following the inadvertent burning of copies of the Quran on a U.S. military base.

During a NATO seminar in Washington, Rasmussen said that despite the wave of violent protests across the country that left four U.S. troops dead, “we must not lose sight of our goal: a stable Afghanistan.”

The NATO chief said he also supports the decision by the top allied commander in Afghanistan, U.S. General John Allen, to withdraw all advisers from Afghan government ministries after the shooting death of two U.S. officers in their offices Saturday.

The United Nations said it would relocate its staff from an office in northern Kunduz province, after it came under attack from angry protesters Saturday and that additional measures will be put in place to “ensure the office can continue to operate in safety.”

The U.S. Embassy has been in lockdown since the violent demonstrations erupted last week. It has warned of a “heightened” threat to Americans in Afghanistan.