Fabius: Syria Peace Talks in Geneva Could Take Place in July

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Sunday that a peace conference on Syria in Geneva could take place in July, later than previously expected.

Amid desperate diplomatic efforts to bring Syria's regime and opposition to the table for talks, Fabius said it was unlikely the conference would take place this month as hoped.

"'Geneva 2' is in my opinion a last-chance conference. I hope it will take place, I think it could take place in July," Fabius told French radio and television.

He said time was "too short" for the conference to be held in June as originally planned.

"The opposition needs to designate its representatives, it will take some time, we must agree on the agenda," Fabius said on Europe 1 radio and I-Tele television.

Russia and the United States have been pushing hard for the regime and opposition to come together for the talks -- dubbed "Geneva 2" because they aim to build on a peace initiative held in the Swiss city in June last year.

The talks last year brought together top diplomats from the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council -- the United States, China, Russia, France and Britain -- and representatives of Turkey, the Arab League and the European Union.

Diplomatic sources say participants are struggling to agree on the basic principles of the proposed new talks and on who would take part.