After days of delays, the Syrian peace talks led by the United Nations kicked off Friday -- though the exact parties involved remains to be seen.
The U.N. special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, said Friday that he had met with a "substantial" delegation from the Syrian government.
Friday's meeting was a preparatory one, de Mistura told reporters.
Substantive talks will have to wait until members of an umbrella opposition group called the High Negotiations Committee arrive in Geneva, which de Mistura said wouldn't be before Sunday or Monday.
The committee told CNN on Friday it will take part in the peace talks. They said they decided to participate in the talks to test the seriousness of the Syrian government, through negotiations with the United Nations team.