New Middle East envoy of the international Quartet of peace mediators Tony Blair on Tuesday said he sees "a sense of possibility" for progress in the Middle East.
Blair made the first public comments since arriving Monday at a news conference with Israeli President Shimon Peres in his residence in Jerusalem.
"I think there is a sense of possibility, but whether that sense of possibility can be translated into something, that is something that needs to be worked at and thought about over time," Blair told the media.
The former British prime minister stressed he had come "to listen, learn and reflect" during two days of meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
Peres, a Nobel peace laureate, promised strong support for Blair. "Your success is our success. Your dreams are our dreams," he said.
"I feel this is a serious window of opportunity for peace, but the duration is not too long. We will have to help you," he added.
Upon his arrival in Israel on Monday, Blair told Israeli officials that a Mideast conference planned for the coming fall must have both content and substance and not be a mere photo opportunity.
Blair said he came to "get an impression of the situation and hear both sides" and that he saw eye-to-eye with U.S. President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is scheduled to arrive in the region about a week after Blair leaves.
On Monday afternoon, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said after meeting with Blair that his visit was of great significance and that his mission aimed to strengthen the Palestinian economy and government was an important step toward a Palestinian statehood.
Blair also met Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Haim Ramon on Monday, who said that time has come to renew talks with the Palestinians after negotiations ceased following Hamas' rise to power, Israel Radio reported.
Ramon said that he was convinced Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert would act to renew negotiations with the Palestinians.
During his two-day visit, Blair is expected to go to the West Bank city of Ramallah on Tuesday for meetings with Palestinian National Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. Later in the day, he is scheduled to meet Olmert in Jerusalem.
Source: Xinhua
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