Syria’s United Nations (UN) ambassador and head of the government delegation Bashar al-Jaafari (C) sits next to government delegation members.

The chief government negotiator at Syria peace talks in Geneva said on Friday he had received a paper from UN mediator Staffan de Mistura and would now study it, but a first meeting had covered nothing but the format of talks.

“During this round of talks we discussed the format of upcoming meetings… exclusively,” Bashar al-Ja’afari told reporters after about two hours of discussions.

“At the end of the meeting de Mistura gave us a paper and we agreed to study this paper. We shall inform him of our position vis-a-vis this paper,” he said. He corrected an interpreter who described it as a “document”, and gave no details of what it said.

Related articles across the web

• Geneva talks to encompass Syrian transition process - UN
• Syria peace talks begin in Astana
• UN Syria envoy not expecting breakthrough at Geneva talks
• Syria's warring factions meet under UN moderation to find a 'new road out of this nightmare'
• Talks to end Syrian civil war get off to tense start
• Turkish-backed rebels seize centre of al-Bab from Isil fighters in Syria
• Baby Who?:
• Russia says Syria peace talks in Geneva pushed back
• Russia Says a Syrian Ceasefire Will Be Discussed at January Talks