BEIRUT: Syria’s ambassador to Lebanon said Saturday that Damascus expects its neighbor’s support at the U.N. amid growing international pressure on President Bashar Assad, adding that the Syrian crisis was drawing to a close.

“We expect Lebanon to stand by its interest and the interest of Syria and to be in solidarity with a fair case,” Ali Abdel-Karim Ali told reporters, responding to whether Damascus expected Beirut to take a pro-Syrian position at the U.N. if Western nations attempted to adopt a harsher statement against Assad.

Lebanon holds the presidency at the United Nations Security Council for the month of September.

“I think the Russian, Chinese, Indian, Brazilian and the South African position, in addition to the Lebanese one ... affirms that Syria is capable of resolving its crisis with the help of its brothers and friends without any interference,” Ali told reporters after meeting with Foreign Affairs Minister Adnan Mansour.

Lebanon disassociated itself from a U.N. Security Council presidential statement on Aug. 3 which condemned the violent crackdown on protesters by Damascus.

Lebanon, however, could have thwarted the release of the statement since presidential statements require a unanimous vote contrary to the issuing of Security Council resolutions.

According to rights groups, around 2,200 Syrian civilians have been killed in a brutal crackdown by Damascus on pro-democracy protests which began in mid-March.

Syria has denied claims it is targeting civilians and has warned against interference in the country, which it says is facing a conspiracy aimed at toppling the government.

Speaking outside the Foreign Ministry, Ali said he believed the crisis in his country was nearing an end.

“Syria’s position is clear, it rejects any outside interference and it is resolving its internal crisis in an honest way along with the reforms it has launched and I think the matter is close to an end,” Ali said, adding that the international community should merely adopt Syria’s way of handling its crisis.