British Prime Minister Tony Blair spent his last full day in office on Tuesday amid growing speculation that he will be named as an envoy to West Asia. And later in the day, a senior US official confirmed that the outgoing premier would be named on Wednesday as the special envoy for the international diplomatic quartet on West Asia with a portfolio focused on Palestinian economic and political reform. The official spoke after being briefed on a meeting of Quartet representatives held in Jerusalem.The US official added that the quartet had agreed on a job description for the special envoy position that Blair will assume shortly after leaving office on Wednesday, disputing reports in the Israeli media that Russia was holding up an official announcement.“The Russians are the least enthusiastic about the position and least enthusiastic about Blair, but they didn’t object,” the official said. “No one objected.”Blair’s new job, will deal primarily with helping the Palestinian Authority build political institutions and will not, at least at first, involve direct mediation or negotiation between the Palestinians and Israelis, the official said. The latter noted that the quartet itself “retains the right to be the interlocutor between the Israelis and Palestinians.”The post is expected to be unpaid but will come with staff and logistical support from the quartet, as did a previous similar position held by former World Bank chief James Wolfensohn, who had a narrower job description.Earlier in the day, giving his final press conference a day before he hands over to finance minister Gordon Brown after a decade in power, Blair said: “I think that 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 I will do whatever I can to help such a resolution come about,” he added, after discussing climate change with California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger , the last foreign dignitary to visit him before he steps down.“I think that he is without any doubt a great, great diplomat and is very very knowledgeable about this. And it will make me feel good if someone like that will be there and negotiate,” said Schwarzenegger.
