Tony Blair, who stepped down today as the prime minister of Britain, has been appointed a new senior peace envoy for the Middle East, working on building the framework for a Palestinian state, officials said today.
The widely expected announcement was made at the United Nations in New York and at the State Department"...
A State Department spokesman, Sean McCormack, said Mr. Blair would spend significant time in the region “working with the parties and others to help viable and lasting government institutions representing all Palestinians, a robust economy and a climate of law and order for the Palestinian people.”
President Bush welcomed the appointment today.
“Tony will help Palestinians develop the political and economic institutions they will need for a democratic, sovereign state able to provide for its people and live in peace and security with Israel,” he said in a statement. “I thank him for his willingness to give his time to this goal, which would be a historic step toward peace in the Middle East.”
As had been speculated, Blair's mandate (as stated)
focuses largely on the development of internal governing institutions for the Palestinians, apparently assumed to be a necessary step toward meaningful progress in negotiations with Israel on Palestinian statehood. Very interesting.
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