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Syria on Tuesday said it would spurn further Arab efforts to resolve its political crisis, as Gulf states piled on pressure by pulling their observers out the country and urging strong UN action.

"Enough of the Arab solutions from now," Foreign Minister Walid Muallem told a televised news conference in Damascus.

He accused the Arabs of "plotting" to internationalise the crisis and taking decisions while "knowing that they will be rejected" by the Syrian authorities.

Muallem also said the government had no choice to confront armed groups Syria claims are fomenting violence that has rocked the country since March.

According to UN figures, more than 5,400 people have died in a regime crackdown on dissent since the violence erupted.

"It is the duty of the Syrian government to take the necessary measures to address the problem of those armed elements who are wreaking havoc throughout Syria," Muallem said.

The foreign minister also stressed that Damascus' traditional ally Russia would never accept any foreign interference in the country's internal affairs.

"No one can doubt the strength of the Russian-Syrian relationship," based on their history and the interests of both people, Muallem said.

Muallem also admitted the violence as well as international sanctions were causing an economic crisis in Syria, but vowed the government would not be swayed.

"There is no doubt that any kind of sanctions affect the population but they do not affect the political situation," Muallem said, speaking a day after EU foreign ministers slapped fresh sanctions against Syria's military brass.

The Arab League at the weekend called on President Bashar al-Assad to hand over power to his deputy and to clear the way for a government of national unity within two months, in a surprise announcement.

Damascus rejected the idea outright as a hostile interference in its national sovereignty.

The League followed this up with an announcement on Tuesday that it has requested a meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon so it can present its proposals on resolving the Syria crisis and demand support from the UN Security Council.

The request was issued jointly by the pan-Arab body's secretary general, Nabil al-Arabi, and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, deputy secretary Ahmad bin Helli told AFP.

In a related development, the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) announced in a joint statement Tuesday they had decided "to follow Saudi Arabia's decision to pull out its observers from the Arab League mission in Syria."

They said their decision arose from "closely following developments in Syria and after they confirmed that the bloodshed and killings there continue (and after) the Syrian regime did not comply with implementing the Arab League decisions."

They also called on "members of the UN Security Council... to take all needed measures at the Security Council to press Syria to implement the Arab League decisions and the Arab initiative on Syria."

Saudi Arabia, the most influential GCC member, decided on Sunday to pull its observers from a widely criticised Arab League mission to Syria. Other GCC members include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Western nations are capitalising on the Arab League's tough new stance to embark on a new diplomatic offensive to push the UN Security Council to take touch action on the crisis.

Germany's UN ambassador Peter Wittig said it could mark a "game changer."

Wittig and the UN ambassadors from Britain and France met counterparts from some Arab League nations late Monday to map the next moves at the UN, after Arab foreign ministers sought Security Council endorsement for their new plan.

The European countries have asked for the UN Security Council to request that Arab League chief Arabi brief the 15-member Council "as soon as possible", diplomats said.

The Security Council has been blocked for months over Syria. Russia and China vetoed a proposed European resolution in October saying it was the first steps toward enforced regime change.

Wittig said the Arab League's new plan for the Syria crisis "may be a game changer" in the diplomatic battle at the Security Council because the League sought UN backing for its whole plan which would force the council to discuss all elements including Assad's future.

He called the Arab League plan "a really bold step."

AFP