UN envoy says gaps between Syria sides at talks

The U.N. envoy for Syria says significant gaps remain between the sides taking part in the Syrian peace talks in Geneva.

Staffan de Mistura emerged Thursday from the fourth day of talks to tell reporters that "the distance between the two sides is large."

De Mistura is shuttling between the Syrian government representatives and those of the Western-backed opposition during the so-called proximity talks.

He says he had "substantive" talks with the opposition High Negotiations Committee on Thursday and that he would be hosting both sides separately on Friday.

He also says "areas of commonality" between the two sides include a belief in preserving the "integrity of the country."

De Mistura added that there were "no discussions about federalism" — a reference to the main Syrian Kurdish group's declaration earlier in the day of a de facto federal region in Kurdish-controlled areas of northern Syria.