Blair: Mideast peace drive has sense of momentum

In his first appearance as the envoy for the Middle East Quartet, former prime minister Tony Blair said Thursday he would travel to the Middle East soon and was optimistic momentum could be regained in talks between Israel and the Palestinians.Blair,speaking at a press conference following the Quartet meeting in Lisbon, said there is no more important issue for peace and security in the world,and that he felt duty-bound to do what he could.He brushed aside suggestions that his limited mandate as special envoy to the Quartet,and the group's refusal to deal with the hardline Palestinian movement Hamas,would hamstring his mission,which begins in earnest when he makes his first trip to the region expected in the coming days."I'm nothing if not an optimist," Blair said following a meeting that brought together senior representatives from the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia-which together comprise the Quartet."I will probably have need for all that quality of optimism in this task ahead, but I am determined to try," he continued.Blair gave no specifics on when he would make his first visit to the region, saying only that it would be soon,and that he would return later for a longer trip.President Shimon Peres has said he would be meeting with Blair in Israel on
Tuesday.Before the meeting,the US and European Union held firm Thursday to their refusal to deal with the militant Palestinian Hamas movement.
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