Syrian President Bashar al-Assad reiterated Monday that Syria is targeted by armed groups backed by foreign parties in a bid to destabilize Syria and undermine any effort for a solution, state-run SANA news agency reported.

Assad made the remarks during a meeting with Alexei Pushkov, chairman of the International Relations Committee of Russian State Duma.

For his part, the Russian diplomat reasserted his country's support for the underway reforms in Syria, adding that efforts should be continued to reach a political solution to the crisis.

He said that the solution should be based on dialogues among concerned parties and without foreign interference, underscoring the importance of security and stability in Syria to the Middle East region and the world.

Pushkov also voiced his country's rejection of any foreign intervention in Syria's internal affairs, adding that the Russian stance stems from its "keenness to cling fast to the International Law principles and to achieve the interests of the Syrian people."

The United Nations Security Council should not be biased in favor of any party concerning the Syrian crisis, he noted.

On Feb. 4, Russia and China vetoed an Arab-European draft resolution on Syria for a second time since October 2011.

The draft resolution came in accordance with an Arab League (AL) plan which demands a government change in unrest-hit Syria.