The U.N. envoy for Syria says a government delegation attending peace talks in Geneva is "here to work," sidestepping comments by President Bashar Assad that the U.N.-mediated peace talks are just for show.
Staffan de Mistura spoke to reporters a day before Tuesday's start to what's expected to be about four days of indirect talks between government and opposition envoys, marking the sixth round that he has mediated since early last year.
The envoy said he wouldn't comment on Assad's remarks, aired by Belarus ONT television on Thursday. The Syrian leader said "nothing substantial" would come from the talks and that they were "merely a meeting for the media."
The delegations aren't expected to meet face-to-face, and de Mistura has called for reduced media involvement to foster a more "businesslike" atmosphere.
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