Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, July 20, 2007
Pledging to make headway where others have failed, Tony Blair made his debut as the new Middle East envoy at a meeting in Portugal yesterday with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and representatives of the European Union and Russia.
"There is no more important issue for peace and security in the world," Blair said at the Lisbon meeting of the Quartet, the group orchestrating Middle East peace efforts. "I'm nothing if not an optimist."
Former British Premier and new Middle East peace envoy Tony Blair, left, is welcomed by Italian Premier Romano Prodi at the premier's office of Palazzo Chigi, in Rome, Wednesday, July 18, 2007. (Pier Paolo Cito - AP)
In Depth
Primer: Israel Background on Israel's ongoing conflict with militant groups.
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