France's President has called on Syrian opposition forces to form a provisional government, saying the council would be recognised by his country.
Francois Hollande's comments will ratchet up the pressure on the Syrian regime, after he insisted the use of chemical weapons would be a “legitimate reason” for military intervention in Syria.
Although the West has condemned Assad's regime, this is the first time that such explicit support has been offered to the splintered rebel forces.
Francois Hollande was speaking to a group of diplomats and dignitaries at the palace
“France asks the Syrian opposition to form a provisional government — inclusive and representative — that can become the legitimate representative of the new Syria,” Hollande said, reported The Associated Press.
“France will recognise the provisional government of Syria once it is formed,” he told a group of 200 ambassadors.
Hollande hit out at China and Russia for their restraint, saying “their attitude weakens our ability to carry out the mandate conferred on us by the U.N. charter.”
A Foreign Office spokesperson told the Huffington Post UK: "We continue to encourage the Syrian opposition to be more united, coherent and cohesive, setting out a clear vision for the future of Syria."
Hollande's latest comments came as mass graves of around 300 civilians, including women and children, were discovered in basements and cellars in Darayya on Sunday.
Footage of the helicopter plummeting to the ground was posted on the internet
President Bashar al-Assad’s troops had launched a ferocious assault on the Damascus suburb with state TV saying that the area was being “cleansed of terrorists”.
However, rebel forces claim that civilians were executed by troops during the attack.
“Assad's army has committed a massacre in Daraya," Abu Kinan, an activist in the town told Reuters.
In a "revenge" attack, the Free Syrian Army shot down a helicopter belonging to Syrian forces as it hovered over Damascus.
Footage of the helicopter was posted on the internet, the helicopter firing at the city before bursting into flame.
Omar al-Qabooni, a spokesman for the Badr Batallion of the Free Syrian Army told AFP the shooting down of the helicopter was "revenge for the Darayya massacre".
Amer al Sadeq from the Syrian Revolution Union told Sky News:
"It is really good news for us to see one of the heavy machines used against us, used against civilians in the bombing of Syrian cities, being dropped down."