Blair to 'listen, absorb, reflect' on Middle East

LISBON (AFP) - Tony Blair, the Middle East Quartet's new envoy, said yesterday that he planned to "listen, to absorb and to reflect" before putting forward any proposals for peace in the region.

"I'm of course very content to take on the responsibilities that have been offered to me by my Quartet colleagues," the former British prime minister told a news conference here after more than two hours of talks with the Quartet.

But he said he would not be making any fresh peace proposals in the immediate future.

"The first steps for me are, familiar as I am with this situation nonetheless, to go (to the Middle East) to listen, to absorb and to reflect ... and at a later stage put forward proposals."

The behind-closed-doors meeting included UN head Ban Ki-moon, US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.