Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday warned Western nations against intervening in Syria, saying any outside interference in fighting between supporters of the government and its opponents could make a dangerous situation worse.
"This worries us very much," Lavrov said in comments to reporters during a visit to the Kazakhstan capital Almaty. "There is a dialogue in progress (between the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and his opponents) and all healthy forces want a cease-fire ... this must not be interrupted."
An ongoing intervention by Nato nations in Libya's civil war has done little to reduce unrest and is possibly prolonging it - a mistake that should not be repeated in Syria, Lavrov said. "(Syria's political groups) are attempting to find a peaceful solution, with the assumption that there will not be an outside intervention," he said. "We must not create a situation similar to Libya." The Kremlin has criticised Nato and its massive bombing campaign against Libya, saying it exceeds a United Nations mandate to protect civilian lives and represents a taking of sides in an internal conflict.