- Title: NIGERIA: Tony Blair hopes Middle East talks will resume within weeks
- Date: 21st February 2010
- Summary: ABUJA, NIGERIA (FEBRUARY 20, 2010) (REUTERS) FORMER BRITISH PRIME MINISTER AND MIDDLE EAST ENVOY TONY BLAIR SHAKING HAND WITH JOURNALIST FORMER BRITISH PRIME MINISTER AND MIDDLE EAST ENVOY TONY BLAIR SITTING DOWN (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER BRITISH PRIME MINISTER AND MIDDLE EAST ENVOY TONY BLAIR, SAYING: "I hope very much within the coming period we can get talks underway because we need a credible political negotiation. When I talk about building the economy, building the institution that is necessary but is not sufficient we need both the politics and the state building going on simultaneously." TONY BLAIR'S HANDS (SOUNDBITE) (English) TONY BLAIR, SAYING: "But in the end the key is to get to the point, where the tow side are talking about the core issues, are talking in a serious way and the purpose of the work I ma doing is the bottom up approach...you will never get a solution to this issue unless the Israelis believe that the Palestinian state will be securely run, that is why the rule of law and governance matters on the Palestinian side and the Palestinians believe that the Israelis will actually get out and let them have their state which is the important of the measures on the economy and on the lifting the weight of occupation." TONY BLAIR HUGGING OLUSEGUN OBASANJO, FORMER PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA
- Embargoed: 8th March 2010 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Nigeria
- Country: Nigeria
- Reuters ID: LVA8Y9NLWRS9LZX15QD1PCWV16KO
- Story Text: Middle East envoy Tony Blair said on Saturday (February 20) he hoped Israelis and Palestinians would resume peace negotiations within weeks, after a break of more than a year.
The former British prime minister represents the "quartet" of Middle East negotiators, and Washington recently said he would be intensifying his work with U.S. negotiator George Mitchell to broker talks.
"I hope very much within the coming period we can get talks underway because we need a credible political negotiation. When I talk about building the economy, building the institution that is necessary but is not sufficient we need both the politics and the state building going on simultaneously," Blair said during a visit to Nigeria.
A big part of Blair's role as envoy for the United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia is helping Palestinians prepare for eventual statehood alongside Israel.
He said efforts would increase not only to strengthen the Palestinian economy and allow greater freedom of movement, but also to do more to promote the rule of law on the Palestinian side and ensure a functioning criminal justice system.
"But in the end the key is to get to the point, where the tow side are talking about the core issues, are talking in a serious way and the purpose of the work I ma doing is the bottom up approach...you will never get a solution to this issue unless the Israelis believe that the Palestinian state will be securely run, that is why the rule of law and governance matters on the Palestinian side and the Palestinians believe that the Israelis will actually get out and let them have their state which is the important of the measures on the economy and on the lifting the weight of occupation," added Blair.
Peace talks have not resumed since Israel's war with Gaza in December 2008 and January 2009, due largely to a Palestinian demand that Israel impose a complete freeze on settlement building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and Israel's refusal to do so.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has rejected a limited and temporary building freeze imposed by Israel late last year as insufficient, and wants assurances that renewed talks would quickly move to seeking a final deal on key issues.
Blair said proposed indirect or "proximity talks" through Israeli and Palestinian envoys could have a role to play "but in the end the key thing is to get to the point where the two sides are talking about the core issues and talking about them in a serious way".
A top priority on the ground, he said, was easing Israeli restrictions on the Gaza Strip, ruled by the Islamist Hamas movement which refuses to recognise the Jewish state. The blockade has intensified the misery in the poor and crowded territory. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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