Britain urges recognition of Syria opposition

British Foreign Secretary William Hague on Monday urged his European counterparts to fully recognize the Syrian opposition group led by Moaz al-Khatib, who was due to meet EU ministers in Brussels for a first round of informal talk, dpa reported. 'We've given our full recognition to them, we hope that other countries will do so at the Friends of Syria meeting in Marrakesh,' Hague said, referring to a separate round of talks due to take place in Morocco later this week. German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle stressed the importance of Monday's meeting in Brussels. 'This is a clear sign of the upgrading of the Syrian coalition,' Westerwelle said. 'This is a coalition that represents the legitimate interests of the Syrian people and we want this to be recognized by the EU.' 'I think that's an important sign of recognition in itself, in the meeting that's going to take place,' added Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the talks were an important opportunity for al-Khatib to brief ministers on his plans for the Syrian opposition.