Syria's Foreign Minister told representatives at the United Nations General Assembly Monday to halt "foreign intervention" in the country, a problem that he said is at the root of Syria's six-month-long armed conflict.

"We deeply regret the surge in the activities of armed groups in Syria, which have not waned and instead continued to spiral," said Walid Moualem, Syria's Foreign Minister, in a speech at the U.N.'s annual session in New York.

The speech coincided with a strong push by Europe and the United States to impose UN Security Council sanctions against Syria, the AFP reported.

From the AFP:

The European Union and the United States have already imposed sanctions on President Bashar al-Assad over his deadly crackdown on opposition protests. They are pressing the U.N. Security Council to also slap sanctions, but Russia and China oppose [sanctions].

"By targeting the Syrian economy with sanctions, the United States and European Union jeopardize the interests and the basic daily subsistence needs of the Syrian people," Moualem said.

Protests in Syria broke out nearly six months ago, prompting Assad to defend his family's 41 year rule with violence. He has since sent tanks and troops into crowds of demonstrators across the country.

An estimated 2,700 people have been killed since protests erupted in March.

An excerpt from Moualem's speech:

"We deeply regret the surge in the activities of armed groups in Syria which have not waned and instead continued to spiral. The presence of these groups, which of itself is the other aspect of the problem in Syria, is the manifestation of foreign intervention.

Armed violence surges in tandem with multiple economic sanctions. By targeting the Syrian economy with sanctions, the United States and the European Union jeopardize the interests and the basic daily subsistence needs of the Syrian people.

This course cannot in any way be reconciled with pronouncements about concern for the interests, security and rights of the Syrian people. It further runs counter to the basic principles of human rights in defense of which these States base their interference in our internal affairs.

The Foreign Minister's remarks were also pointed at cyber hacktivists, who continue to deface Syrian government websites amid the armed conflict.