WARRING Syrian factions involved in UN-backed peace talks are still too far apart to set a date for further negotiations, the UN’s envoy to the country has warned.

Following a closed security council meeting on Wednesday, Staffan de Mistura said he was still hoping to hold the next round of talks “within July, but not at any cost and not without guarantees.”

He said that he was “aiming at August as the period where we should be seeing something concrete. So that in September we take stock.”