Syria’s opposition leader is set to visit France on Wednesday in an effort to push for military aid for rebel fighters.
Ahmad Jarba is to meet with French President Francois Hollande.
“This is one of the goals of our visit among other issues,” new opposition chief Ahmad Jarba told reporters after meeting members of the French parliament’s foreign affairs committee on Tuesday at the start of a two-day trip.
“Obviously we will ask France for total political support, diplomatic support, humanitarian emergency aid, and military and other aid,” said Jarba.
He said Hollande’s invitation was proof of France’s interest in Syria’s fate.
The trip is Jarba’s first visit to France since he was elected head of the main opposition Syrian National Coalition (SNC) on July 6.
After France, Jarba will head to New York for meetings at the United Nations, AFP news agency reports.
Britain said the 15-nation U.N. Security Council, including Russia and China, would hold its first meeting with the SNC leadership on Friday.
Meanwhile, Free Syrian Army chief General Selim Idriss added that the opposition was “working with our European and American friends to obtain technical, medical and humanitarian assistance and, we hope, also weapons and ammunition” as the rebels did “not have enough” weapons, AFP reported.
(With AFP)
