MOSCOW: Allegations by Western nations that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad regime was illegitimate are "unacceptable", a Russian minister said Friday.
Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said the anti-Assad stance was unlikely to foster a peaceful settlement in the conflict-hit country.
"In our view, such opinions are counter-productive as they give a false signal to the opposition that there is no reason to engage in dialogue, that it's better to expect help from NATO and the West, as was the case in Libya," he said.
"We believe that this scenario is absolutely inadmissible and it will have grave consequences for Syrians and the stability of the situation in the region," he said.
He condemned Saudi Arabia's decision to close its embassy in Syria.
On Friday, four other countries -- Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and the UAE -- also announced that they would withdraw their diplomats from Damascus.
Bahrain has also recalled its diplomats from Syria earlier this month.