Middle East negotiators to meet Blair in Lisbon

The key international Middle East mediators known as the Quartet will confer with Tony Blair for the first time next week in his new role as their representative in efforts to promote peace between Israel and the Palestinians, the UN said today.

Top officials from the Quartet – the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Russia – will meet on July 19 in Lisbon, Portugal, UN deputy spokeswoman Marie Okabe said.

“The meeting comes at a crucial moment and will be an opportunity to assess the recent events and discuss the way forward to advance the cause of peace in the Middle East,” she said.

“In particular, the Quartet principals will confer with the Quartet representative, Tony Blair, on how best to assist the Palestinian Authority in building its institutions and economy, which are vital for the creation of a viable Palestinian state,” Okabe said.

Hours after Blair stepped down as prime minister on June 27, the Quartet appointed him with a mandate to focus on mobilising international support and assistance for the Palestinians, a job that will be even tougher now because of the sharp divide between Hamas, which wrested control of the Gaza Strip in early June, and Fatah, which controls the West Bank.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who will attend next week’s Quartet meeting, is increasingly concerned about the economic impact of the situation in Gaza and calls for the opening of all crossings to allow humanitarian supplies and workers and commercial goods to enter the territory, Okabe said.

“He notes in particular the new figures released by the World Bank which show that in the last month alone 3,190 businesses have closed down forcing over 65,000 people into unemployment,” she said.

“If what is left of Gaza’s economy is allowed to collapse, poverty levels, already affecting an estimated two-thirds of households, will rise further and the people of Gaza will become near totally aid dependent,” Okabe said.