Blair chosen as West Asia peace envoy

JERUSALEM, June 26 (Reuters) Western powers have agreed to name outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair as West Asia envoy, as a bid to revive peace prospects after Islamist Hamas's takeover of Gaza, an official in Washington said TOday.

The announcement from the so-called Quartet mediators -- the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations -- was expected tomorrow, the day he steps down as prime minister, after some Russian foot-dragging, diplomats said.

''We would expect that he would be named as early as tomorrow,'' the US official in Washington, who asked not to be named, said today of Blair's appointment. ''It is in the final stages of consultation all around.'' ''Stay tuned,'' US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters with a smile as she flew home after a 48-hour trip to Paris, when asked if Blair was about to be named to the post.

''I certainly hope that this role is going to be filled because I think it is very important,'' Rice said.

The EU's Middle East envoy, Marc Otte, told reporters after the group met in Jerusalem that Blair was the only candidate under consideration for the post but that the Quartet had awaited final approval from Russia.

Relations between London and Moscow have been sour over Britain's probe of a murder in London of a former Soviet agent, but diplomats said further talks may allow a deal to go through.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov hinted in a speech in Israel today that Moscow also differed with Western efforts to isolate Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which the Islamists seized by force two weeks ago.

The West wants to bolster the emergency government that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas formed in the occupied West Bank after he sacked a Hamas-led cabinet, and jump-start peace talks with him.

'DIVIDE AND CONQUER' Lavrov criticised what he called the ''divide and conquer'' policy that has divided the Palestinian territories with Hamas in control of Gaza and Abbas's secular Fatah movement in control of the West Bank.

''A divided Palestine is a problem for Israel and the region,'' Lavrov said in Tel Aviv.

At issue at the meeting in Jerusalem was how sweeping a mandate to grant Blair, diplomats said.

The previous envoy focused mainly on economic issues rather than day-to-day negotiations aimed at reviving talks on Palestinian statehood.

Rice said the Quartet envisaged Blair focussing on building the institutions for a Palestinian state.

Otte said ''if there is going to be a Palestinian state it is very important to build the capacity of the institutions for this state to be a viable one.'' Blair's mandate could be expanded later, Otte said.

Blair gave his clearest indication yet that he wants the job, saying in London that he was ready, in principle, to try to help bring an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

''I think anybody who cares about greater peace and stability in the world knows that a lasting and enduring resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian issue is essential and, as I have said on many occasions, I would do whatever I could to help such a resolution come about,'' Blair told reporters.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Blair in a telephone conversation he would support him ''fully'' if he were named the Quartet envoy, a statement from Olmert's office said.

Abbas also supports Blair's appointment, aides said.

Some Quartet diplomats have raised questions about Blair's ability to garner broad Palestinian and Arab public support because of his leading role in the Iraq war and his close relationship with US President George W Bush.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhmoum said Blair was not welcome in the envoy post because he supported ''the Zionist occupation's terrorism and massacres against our people''.

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