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Ramallah: Tony Blair spoke of a "moment of opportunity" after he met Palestinian and Israeli leaders yesterday on his first visit to the region as an international envoy.
But he cautioned that steps toward peace would take time. In his first public remarks since beginning a 48-hour trip to Occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank on Monday, the former British prime minister said he had come mainly "to listen and to learn and to reflect". He will return for longer in early September.
"I think there is a sense of possibility at the moment. I think this is a moment of opportunity," Blair said in Ramallah after meeting Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.
After earlier talks in Occupied Jerusalem with Israeli President Shimon Peres, Blair said translating those possibilities "into something" would require work and thought "over time".
Resumption
Blair also met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Palestinian officials said they wanted Blair to use his ties to US President George W. Bush to help end Israeli occupation and ensure a resumption of negotiations for a Palestinian state.
Blair himself is keen to play such a role, diplomats and officials said.
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