Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem slammed some UN Security Council members during his speech at the General Assembly Monday, accusing them of supporting “terrorism” in his country.

In his initial comments, he said that “some well-known countries” are pursuing “new colonial policies” in Syria under the guise of humanitarian efforts.

Al-Moallem went on to add that peace requires action not only by Syria but by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Libya and others to stop arming and financing the opposition.

The Syrian Foreign Minister slammed calls for President Bashar al-Assad to step down, calling them “blatant interference” in the country’s domestic affairs.

“We heard calls from this podium, and on other platforms, some calls from those who are ignorant of the facts or maybe ignoring them, or also from those who are shareholders in exacerbating them, that invites the President of the Syrian Arab Republic to step down,” he said. “This is a blatant interference in the domestic affairs of Syria, and the unity of its people and its sovereignty.”

He also called for the opposition to put down its arms and settle the more-than-a-year long conflict through dialogue with the government, “in order to stop spilling Syrian blood.”

The Syrian civil war began in March 2011, and according to UN data, has claimed the lives of 20,000 people, most of them civilians. Hundreds of thousands of Syrians have fled the country since the uprising started.