Russia "categorically" rejected on Friday the idea it was supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, stressing Moscow was regulating the crisis on normal political basis.

Russia "categorically" rejected on Friday the idea it was supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, stressing Moscow was regulating the crisis on normal political basis.

“I categorically reject the formulation that Russia supports (President) Bashar al-Assad's regime in the situation that has developed in Syria," said Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

"What the Russian Federation is engaged in is not supporting specific politicians or political figures in Syria, but in work that we hope will help create the important dialogue between the authorities and the opposition," the deputy FM added.
"The issue is not supporting specific political figures or leaders, but putting the process of regulating the crisis on a normal political basis," Ryabkov said in a statement quoted by Russian news agencies.

Earlier on Friday US Secretary of State slammed the Russian and Chinese stance regarding the Syrian crisis, saying Moscow and Beijing would “pay price” for their position.

At the so-called “Friends of Syria” meeting in Paris, Clinton blasted both Russia and China for "standing up for the regime," saying they were "holding up progress" in the regulation of the conflict and urged countries to press Moscow and Beijing on the issue.

But Ryabkov accused the West of being stuck in a Cold War mindset.
"Unfortunately, we cannot press our partners, including Western ones, to understand several basic things. The West is still operating with the notions of 'ours-theirs', 'who is whose client,' and so forth."

"We had the impression that such terminology should be left in the past. If it is still employed by these politicians, that means they are behind in their thinking," he said.