New boy ... Blair meets Spain's Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos
TONY BLAIR could be suffering from first day nerves as he makes his debut as Middle East envoy later today. But US Secretary of State and chief peacekeeper Condoleezza Rice's latest comments are likely to smooth any jitters as she hailed Mr Blair as a historic and passionate leader, saying he could breathe new life into long-stalled talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Aboard a plane en route to the meeting, Ms Rice said: “This is a very skilled, respected, historic figure in many ways in the world, who is absolutely dedicated to democracy, to building a better Middle East.” The high-level meeting - which brings together the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations - will be the first since hardline Islamic group Hamas wrested control of the Gaza Strip from the more moderate Fatah last month. Ms Rice defended the decision to limit Mr Blair’s mandate to helping Palestinians develop their infrastructure and economy, saying his role would compliment US-led diplomatic efforts - and that there was plenty of work for everyone. And Rice said the timing of the talks - and of Blair’s first appearance as envoy - was timely. (The Sun)
