Meeting the new Syrian coalition and its President in London today, UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said he was encouraged, and welcomed their wish to be a "credible, political alternative to the Assad regime".

In a statement, Hague said:

"The formation of the coalition is a very encouraging development, and I'm further encouraged by the discussions I have had with them this morning. It is important of course, and I have stressed to them, that they respect minority rights, that they are inclusive of all communities in Syria, committed to a democratic future for the people of Syria."

"And that in the face of a regime that has committed such abuse, violence and rape against the people of their own country, that this coalition stands firmly against all of those things, and they uphold high standards of human rights and international humanitarian law, preventing sexual violence, preventing abuse of prisoners. These things are very important for their future, and international support for them."

"I am encouraged by their response to that, and to have met Sheik Al-Khatib, the president of the National Coalition. I welcome the commitment he has made to reach out to all opposition groups in Syria, to respect human rights, to finalise a clear plan for political transition in Syria, and of course, to demonstrate that the coalition can be a credible, political alternative to the Assad regime"

"I hope this meeting today will mark a turning point for the Syrian people, and it will begin the major steps towards a political transition in Syria."