World Bulletin / News Desk

The leader of Syria's new opposition group will join European Union foreign ministers at a meeting in Brussels on Monday, bolstering the movement's growing status among Western powers.

Mouaz Alkhatib, the head of the Syrian National Coalition, will attend at least part of the meeting, a spokesman for Catherine Ashton, the EU foreign affairs chief, said on Friday.

The ministers plan to discuss further steps to try to end the civil war in Syria and to look at ways of loosening an arms embargo in order to help elements of the rebel forces, EU diplomats said.