Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told members of the Arab Cooperation Forum on Wednesday that prolonging violence in Syria would not lead to an end to the conflict there.

Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister, said, "In regards to the Syrian conflict, we can conclude it can’t be resolved by force from any side. And more and more, an understanding of the necessity of dialogue is making its way."

Lavrov greeted members of the forum at the Russian Foreign Ministry. The meeting came a day after the Russian Emergencies Ministry evacuated nearly 100 Russians and citizens of the former Soviet republics from Syria. Russia has been President Bashar al-Assad’s most powerful foreign backer during the uprising against his rule.

Russia has vetoed three UN Security Council resolutions aimed at pushing Assad out or pressing him to end the violence, and instead called for dialogue. According to the UN nearly 70 thousand people have been killed in 23-months of violence.