Paris Gives 1.2 Million Euros in Urgent Aid to Syria Opposition
France has allocated 1.2 million euros ($1.5 million) in emergency aid to the newly formed opposition Syrian National Coalition, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Monday.
"The humanitarian situation in Syria is deteriorating. It is imperative that the international community act," Fabius said in a statement.
"France, which was first to recognize the Coalition as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people, now wants to help it come to the aid of its countrymen in distress."
The French move came as the opposition coalition held a conference in Cairo aimed at drumming up international support.
It also came on the eve of a visit to Paris by Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev who has been highly critical of France's action, deeming it "completely unacceptable in international law".
Medvedev is expected to discuss Syria during talks Tuesday with French President Francois Hollande.
Syria's opposition coalition was formed earlier this month.
It was quickly recognized by the six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait.
France then became the first major power to recognize the organization. Turkey and Britain followed suit but the coalition has failed to win universal backing because of doubts about whether it is genuinely representative of all sections of Syrian society.
The European Union has recognized the coalition as "legitimate representatives" of the Syrian people, but not the sole one.
Source: Agence France Presse
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