(VOVworld) – The United Nations envoy for Syria Staffan De Mistura met separately with Syrian opposition representatives to push for a united front within opposition parties on Sunday in Geneva, Switzerland.

United Nations envoy for Syria Staffan De Mistura  (Photo: EPA/ VNA)

This was their first meeting to prepare for negotiations with the Syrian government. After the meeting, Jihad Makdissi, a former spokesman for the Damascus government who left Syria in 2012, said the envoy gave them notes on how to facilitate talks between various opposition groups and the government. He said the differences among the opposition are not many, and they agree with the UN’s initiatives more on technical than on political points.