Al-Watan Newspaper cited on Monday sources in Geneva saying the Syrian government was not pleased by a statement made last week at a Syrian opposition meeting in Riyadh. In the statement, Syrian opposition groups maintained their long held demand that President Bashar al-Assad step down before any political transition, a demand Damascus views as "back to square one."

UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura would not comment on the travel plans of the Syrian government.

The Russia-backed Syrian Congress on National Dialogue has been postponed until February, Russia’s RIA news agency reported on Monday, citing a diplomatic source.