Outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair (File Photo)
Members of the Quartet will announce the appointment insimultaneous statements from Washington, New York, Brussels and Moscow, the Associated Press quoted an unidentified official as reporting.
U.S. Deputy State Department spokesman Tom Casey declined to talk about the possible appointment of Blair, but he said a meeting of Quartet representatives held earlier in the day in Jerusalem did have a discussion about the post and what its duties might be and that a statement was expected on Wednesday.
Blair declared in May that he would step down as the party leader and quit his job as Prime Minister on June 27. It was reported that U.S. President George W. Bush had discussed with Blair about taking the post of Middle East peace envoy after he leaves office.
James Wolfensohn, former president of the World Bank, stepped down as the Quartet's Middle East special envoy more than a year ago.
Photo taken on June 25, 2007 showw Tony Blair's new house in Londaon. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)
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Blair to serve as Middle East peace envoy
LONDON, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Tony Blair will serve as peace envoy to the Middle East after stepping down from the post of British prime minister on Wednesday, British newspaper Guardian reported.
An official announcement of the "new post" will be made Tuesday after a meeting of the so-called Mideast quartet, comprising the United Nations, the European Union, the United States and Russia, Guardian said.
Putin expects Blair's experience used in solving world problems
MOSCOW, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that he expects the "rich experience in state and foreign policy affairs" of outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair would be used in solving international problems, Kremlin said.
During a phone conversation on Tuesday, Putin and Blair talked about bilateral relations in the last decade, saying the two countries have made progress in many areas, especially in trade and economic aspect, Interfax news agency quoted a Kremlin press release as saying.
Blair's appointment as Quartet special envoy delayed in Jerusalem meeting
JERUSALEM, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Russian reservations have helped delay on Tuesday the appointment of outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair as special envoy for the Mideast Quartet, local Ha'aretz reported after the Quartet envoys finished their meeting without any statement.
The envoys of the Quartet, grouping the United States, the UN, European Union and Russia, left without speaking to the press, and details on the talks weren't immediately available, said the daily.
