Syria talks: Prisoner exchanges on Geneva agenda 26 January 2014 Last updated at 05:04 Lakhdar Brahimi: "We haven't achieved much, but we are continuing" Syrian government and opposition delegations are expected to discuss prisoner releases on their second day of face-to-face peace talks in Geneva. On Saturday the talks focused on safe routes for aid convoys into besieged parts of the city of Homs. UN mediator Lakhdar Brahimi called the discussions a "good beginning." He said the issues being discussed were a prelude to tackling the key question of establishing a transitional government for Syria. "We haven't achieved much but we are continuing," he told reporters after Saturday's talks. It's an old diplomatic trick - lull the warring sides with lovely views and luxury Mr Brahimi said he was trying to build confidence by broaching humanitarian issues first. "We are moving in half-steps," he said, adding that by trying to make progress on humanitarian issues, he was aiming to "create an atmosphere" that would eventually enable advances on the 2012 Geneva I communique, which set out a blueprint for peace talks. Civilised discussions In the first meeting, the two delegations filed in through separate doors into one room in the UN Geneva Headquarters, and sat down at the same U-shaped table, but said nothing to each other. Mr Brahimi said another two-hour meeting had taken place in the afternoon. He admitted no direct words had been exchanged but said the two sides were "talking through me to one another. "This is what happens in civilised discussions," he said, where sides addressed each other via the chairperson. "I think it's a good beginning," he said, adding he was "praying for some good news" to come on humanitarian issues on Sunday. Sunday's meeting will focus on the issue of imprisoned and kidnapped people in Syria. Negotiators would "see if something can be done to secure the freedom of at least some of the people deprived of their freedom," Mr Brahimi said. Fundamentally divided The opposition, however, had insisted that the regime commit in writing to the Geneva I communique, which called for a transition process.