AKIPRESS.COM - The United Nations invited Syria's government and opposition to peace talks in Geneva on Friday, but Saudi-backed opponents of President Bashar al-Assad have yet to decide whether to drop their objections to taking part.

The U.N. Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, sent out invitations to the delayed talks on Tuesday, without saying who had been invited or how many groups might participate, reports Reuters.

Earlier, the opposition had cast doubt on whether it would go to Geneva, accusing the United States of adopting unacceptable Iranian and Russian ideas on solving the conflict.

A decision by the opposition's recently formed High Negotiations Committee (HNC) on whether to accept the invitation is due to be taken at a meeting in Riyadh.

"There is consensus in the High Committee on being positive in our decision," spokesman Salim al-Muslat told the Arabic news channel Arabiya al-Hadath. However, he added that the final decision would not be made at the meeting until Wednesday.

A Western diplomat said the Geneva talks could not be convened if the HNC were to stay away, and de Mistura would have to find a face-saving way to avoid the complete collapse of the process, perhaps by announcing a further delay.

The main Syrian Kurdish party said it had not been invited, a move some interpreted as intended to keep Turkey, which regards Syria's Kurdish fighters as terrorists, engaged in the process.

De Mistura has said the Geneva meeting will first seek a ceasefire and later work toward a political settlement. The talks are expected to last for six months, with diplomats shuttling between rival delegations in separate rooms.

The Syrian government, which is clawing back territory from the rebels with the help of Russian air strikes and other allies including Iranian fighters, has already said it will attend.

The HNC has however repeatedly said the government and its allies must halt bombardments and lift blockades of besieged areas before it will join talks.