UN mediator for Syria, Staffan de Mistura talks to Reuters during an interview at the UN in Geneva, Switzerland March 1, 2016. REUTERS

GENEVA: The UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura plans to start substantive peace talks by March 14, his spokeswoman said on Tuesday, five days later than his planned start on March 9.

Although the talks will officially resume on March 9, some participants in the talks will only arrive in Geneva on March 12, March 13 and March 14, De Mistura's spokeswoman Jessy Chahine told a regular UN briefing. She said the same participants had been invited as in the first round.