MOSCOW, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Syria and Turkey should exercise restraint so as to avoid possible cross-border conflicts, a Russian diplomat said Tuesday.

Both Syrian and Turkish authorities "should exercise maximum restraint" since radical members of the Syrian opposition might deliberately provoke cross-border conflicts for their own benefits, Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov told reporters here.

The diplomat said Moscow has been worrying about the situation on the Syria-Turkey border.

Syrian conflicts has been overflowing the national border and become a destabilizing factor for many neighboring countries such as Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Lebanon, he said.

Gatilov asked NATO and Middle East countries not to look for a pretext to launch a military intervention in Syria, nor to push initiatives like humanitarian corridors or buffer zones.

Russia stands for a political and diplomatic solution to the Syria issue and opposes outside military intervention under the pretext of civilians protection or the alleged presence of non-existing weapons of mass destruction, Gatilov said.

In addition, "bomb diplomacy" has never achieved its desired results but only aggravated security situation in the region, he said.

"Now it is important to make all efforts to encourage Syrian sides to ceasefire and launch a national dialogue, and implement the Geneva communique," Gatilov said. Enditem

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