Italy said Wednesday it was closing its embassy in Damascus and repatriating some staff to protest Syria’s "unacceptable" crackdown on the opposition.

Italy said Wednesday it was closing its embassy in Damascus and repatriating some staff to protest Syria's "unacceptable" crackdown on the opposition.

"Italy today suspended the activities of its embassy in Damascus and repatriated some personnel," the foreign ministry said in a communiqué.

The ministry said Italy would "continue to support the Syrian people and work towards a peaceful solution to the crisis, to guarantee fundamental rights and legitimate democratic ambitions."

"We fully support the efforts of the UN and Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan to achieve a total stop to the violence and allow access to humanitarian workers and start political dialogue," the statement said.

International mediator Annan met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus over the weekend and made "concrete" proposals on ways to halt the 12-month crisis that has killed more than 8,000 people according to the UN.