UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan De Mistura will send invitations to the Syrian reconciliation talks in Geneva later than was previously announced, the UN Office in Geneva said.

“In view of ongoing consultations with Syrian parties regarding the formation of delegations for the intra-Syrian negotiations to be convened by the Special Envoy, the Special Envoy anticipates that invitations will be issued in the coming days, and not on 8 February,” the office said in a statement.

“Irrespective of the date on which the invitations will be issued, the Special Envoy maintains his intention to convene the intra-Syrian negotiations on 20 February,” the statement reads.

Yara Sharif, a spokesperson for the Office of the Special Envoy for Syria, said at a briefing Tuesday that the invitations will be sent on February 8.