Russia and China assured on Thursday their position of the Syrian crisis, as they reiterated the call for peaceful end to the unrest and for dialogue.

Russia and China assured on Thursday their position of the Syrian crisis, as they reiterated the call for peaceful end to the unrest and for dialogue.

Lavrov with his Chinese counterpart, Yang Jiechi

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi to discuss the two powers' future strategy on the crisis, less than a month after the UN Security Council vote.

"The sides reaffirmed the joint position of Russia and China," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

Moscow and Beijing seek "a speedy end to any violence in Syria and the launch of inclusive dialogue between the authorities and the opposition without preconditions for a settlement, and that excluded foreign intervention in Syrian affairs".

The decision by the two veto-wielding Security Council members to block a resolution against Syria sparked hysteria by the west.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday called the leaders of Saudi Arabia as well as Iraq and Iran to shore up regional support for Moscow's stance.

Saudi Arabia's official SPA news agency said King Abdullah told Medvedev that his calls for Syrian dialogue were "futile" and that Russia should have "coordinated with the Arabs... before using the veto".