Britain has formally recognized the newly formed Syrian opposition as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people. British Foreign Secretary William Hague made the announcement Tuesday.

Last week, France became the first Western nation to officially recognize the Syrian National Coalition, which formed earlier this month in Qatar in opposition to President Bashar Assad.

The U.S. has also recognized the leadership body as a legitimate representative, but stopped short of describing it as a sole representative, saying the group must first demonstrate its ability to represent Syrians inside the country.