Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the new envoy of the international Middle East Quartet, said on Tuesday that he had good meetings with Palestinian leaders on his first visit to the West Bank as a peace envoy.
At a news conference held with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in Ramallah, Blair described his visit as "a moment for opportunity."
Earlier, the envoy also met the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the ways to revive peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority.
As for his meetings with the Palestinian leadership, Blair stressed that "the most important thing at the moment is to listen, learn and reflect."
"At the present time, I'm trying to get a sense and feel of what is happening here," said Blair.
Fayyad, prime minister of the caretaker government appointed by President Abbas after Hamas' violent takeover of Gaza, said that he expects Blair to help facilitate "the needed international support for our plans on the domain of economy, administration and building the institutions."
He said Blair's assistance "should support the peace process and help achieving what's needed towards ending the occupation and establishing the Palestinian state."
Blair, who arrived in Israel and held talks with Israeli officials on Monday, visited the West Bank for talks with the Palestinian side earlier in the day.
This is his first trip to the region as the envoy of the international Quartet, which comprises the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia.
Source: Xinhua
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