UN mediator to meet Syrian government, opposition

UN mediator Lakhdar Brahimi is going to have meetings with delegations of the Syrian government and the opposition separately here Friday, confirmed a UN spokeswoman.

Alessandra Vellucci from the UN office in Geneva told the media that Brahimi, joint special representative of the UN and the Arab League for Syria, will meet the Syrian government delegation led by Foreign Minister Walid al Moallem at 11 a.m. Friday, and then talk with the opposition at 4 p.m., Xinhua reported.

"As Mr. Brahimi has announced in Montreux (in Switzerland), the process of negotiation didn't go on as foreseen in the beginning," she said, adding that the mediator might need a few weeks to prepare for direct talks between the conflicting sides in Geneva.

The international conference on Syria kicked Wednesday in the lakeside Swiss city of Montreux, and the first full day of peace talks between the Syrian government and opposition was slated to start Friday.

The spokeswoman did not disclose who should be responsible for the change of schedule.