Blair poised to become Mideast envoy after stepping down as PM

London: Outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair will be named today as special envoy for the international diplomatic Quartet on the Middle East with a portfolio focused on Palestinian economic and political reform, a senior US official said.

Members of the Quartet, the United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia, will give their public blessing and announce that Blair has agreed to take the job in simultaneous statements from their capitals and New York, the official said. He spoke after being briefed on a meeting of Quartet representatives held earlier yesterday in Occupied Jerusalem.

EU envoy Marc Otte, Russia's Sergei Yakovlev, UN's Michael Williams and US Assistant Secretary David Welch met for more than two hours at the US consulate in Occupied Jerusalem, before driving away without comment.

Official spokesmen from the Quartet refused to be drawn on Blair's possible appointment, with UN spokesman Brenden Varma saying only that the talks would "compare notes on the latest developments".

Blair neither confirmed nor denied the report but stressed his readiness to help find a solution to the Israeli-Palesetinian conflict.

Mixed emotions

"I think that anybody who cares about greater peace and stability in the world knows that a lasting and enduring resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian issue is essential," Blair told a news conference. "And I will do whatever I can to help such a resolution come about."

As speculation mounted, Blair spent his last full day in office and prepared for his last day, bringing down the curtain on a decade in power that began amid euphoria but is ending with mixed emotions in Britain and abroad.

Seven weeks after announcing he would step down, Blair will tender his resignation to Queen Elizabeth II today and hand over the reins to Gordon Brown.

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Do you think Blair is the best man for the job? If not, whom would you suggest as an alternative?