Russia is hosting the United Nations envoy for Syria for talks focusing on future peace negotiations.
Speaking at the start of Thursday's meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Staffan de Mistura said it comes at a "delicate important moment."
He stressed the importance of coordination between the talks in Geneva and the upcoming talks in Astana sponsored by Russia, Turkey and Iran, saying they are "closely interconnected."
The Astana talks set for later this month will focus on specifics of de-escalation zones in Syria.
Lavrov emphasized the need to "harmonize the efforts taken by various players in Syria ... to protect Syria's sovereignty, uphold the rights of all ethnic and religious groups, ensure the security of the region and prevent Syria from becoming a constant source of terror threats
