Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says excessive calls for Syrian President Bashar Assad’s resignation would lead to a civil war.

The Russian minister on Wednesday made the remarks at a news conference after a meeting with other foreign ministers in Vienna, Austria.

Lavrov said that if the international community demands a regime change as a condition for negotiations to end violence in Syria, it will lead to a massive civil war.

The minister said that it is important that all parties sit at the negotiating table without any preconditions, adding that Russia is working towards a dialogue amongst the concerned countries.