France24, 17 Nov 2012 – French president François Hollande welcomed the head of the new Syrian opposition coalition to Paris on Saturday, just four days after becoming the first Western power to officially recognise the alliance.
Hollande, who on Tuesday described the coalition as “a legitimate representative of the Syrian people”, met with its President, Ahmad Moaz al-Khatib, at the Elysée Palace.
Hollande was joined for the talks by France’s Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.
Before the meeting the Elysée aides said the discussions would focus on examining “ways and means to protect Syria’s liberated zones and how to get humanitarian assistance to refugees”.
The need to establish a provisional government was also on the agenda according to the Elysée.
Hollande and Khatib were due to make a statement to the press after the meeting.
On Friday al-Khatib met with British Foreign Secretary William Hague in London but Hague has so far declined to officially recognise the new Syrian opposition.
Although the foreign secretary described the talks as “encouraging” he said he would make a decision on whether to recognise the coalition in the coming days.
The United States, for its part, is less enthusiastic towards the opposition and does not consider the coalition as a representative of the Syrian people.
Germany has stipulated certain conditions before it recognises the opposition, asking the coalition to make “clear commitments to democracy, the rule of law and ethnic and religious pluralism”.
More than 39,000 people have died since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime erupted 20 months ago, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.