Syria new opposition head meets EU
2012-12-10 21:00
Brussels - EU foreign ministers on Monday met the head of
the newly formed Syrian opposition coalition that several believe should be
recognised as the legitimate replacement for President Bashar Assad.
Welcoming Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib "is a clear signal of
how the status of the Syrian coalition is being reviewed," German Foreign
Minister Guido Westerwelle said as he went into a meeting with his EU
colleagues at which the bloody conflict in Syria is a major talking point.
"It is a coalition which represents the legitimate
interests of the Syrian people. We want that to be recognised as such by the
European Union," Westerwelle said.
Earlier British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he
was happy that EU ministers would meet Khatib and hoped that other members
would follow Paris and London in giving the group full recognition.
The EU currently recognises the coalition as
"legitimate representatives of the aspirations of the Syrian people,"
which falls short of recognising it outright as a potential successor
government.
Full recognition could allow Western powers to arm rebel
forces seeking to oust President Assad but that is a sensitive issue, with some
EU member states very cautious about the possible unintended consequences of
such a step.
The EU recently rolled over its arms embargo on all
Syrian parties for another three months to 1 March.
EU foreign policy head Catherine Ashton met Khatib
earlier on Monday, saying she had stressed that the new coalition had to ensure
that it included all opinion in Syria and that it was committed to democratic
standards.
Khatib has visited London and Paris but his meeting
Monday with the 27 EU foreign ministers "has a larger symbolic
importance," one diplomat said.
