13/12/2012 (Agence Europe) - Friends of Syria recognise coalition as “the” legitimate representative of the Syrian people. The 129 countries and organisations belonging to the “Friends of Syria” organisation met up on 12 December in Morocco. They recognised the National Syrian Coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people and the federal organisation of the Syrian opposition. The European Union has not yet recognised this coalition as “the” representative but as a “legitimate representative”. The French minister for foreign affairs, Laurent Fabius, urged the different countries to make real progress with this recognition and the minister from Belgium, Didier Reynders, proposed that the Coalition open a representation in Brussels. He also mooted the idea of another meeting with the Friends of Syria to take place in his country. (CG/transl.fl)