Damascus: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Sunday warned that foreign intervention would alienate countries in the region and further the danger of extremism.

Assad made the remarks during a meeting with a delegation from the Russian Federation Council (the upper house of Russia's parliament), which flew in a day earlier on a four-day visit for talks with Syrian officials and other political, social and religious figures on the six-month crisis in the country, reported Xinhua, citing official Syrian news agency SANA.

SANA quoted Assad as saying that every reform step endorsed by the Syrian government was met with an escalation of foreign pressures, in addition to other attempts to interfere in Syria's internal affairs and undermine its security and stability through armed terrorist operations targeting civilians, army personnel and security agents.

Assad highly evaluated Russia's "balanced and constructive" attitude towards the current situation in Syria and its keenness about security and stability in the country.

Members of the Russian delegation voiced Russia's support for the on-going reforms in Syria and rejection of any foreign intervention in Syria's internal affairs, SANA said.

In a statement to SANA, Ilyas Umakhanov, deputy chairman of the Russian Federation Council, said Russia was ready to participate and cooperate in pushing forward the national dialogue in Syria and the dialogue should be launched in a "natural atmosphere without violence."

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