Syrian bank accounts frozen abroad are gradually being freed up for use in food purchases, the head of Syria's General Foreign Trade Organisation (GFTO) told Reuters on Sunday, with France being the most committed to releasing the funds. The European Union, United States and other Western countries have imposed sanctions on President Bashar al-Assad's government over his crackdown on the revolt in his country, but these do not apply to food. The Union De Banques Arabes Francaises (UBAF) has approved the release of funds for purchases, Tarek al Taweel, Director General of GFTO, said over the telephone.