RAMALLAH, West Bank, 25 July 2007 — Middle East Quartet envoy Tony Blair met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah yesterday. Abbas later said in a statement that the two discussed the recent developments in the Palestinian territories and the Quartet’s role in advancing the peace process in the region.

Blair, whose mandate has been defined by the Quartet as concentrating on reform, economic development and institution-building in the Palestinian territories, refused to answer reporters’ questions at the end of the meeting. But later after a meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem, Blair said: “I think there is a sense of possibility. Whether that sense of possibility can be translated into something, that is something that needs to be worked at and thought about over time.”

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the Blair-Abbas meeting dealt with the need to establish a Palestinian state. “We made it clear that we are no longer interested in talks, declarations or even initiatives. We are interested in the creation of mechanisms in order to implement ideas for the establishment of a Palestinian state.”

About Blair’s limited mandate, Erekat said: “The economic issue and the building of institutions are part of the overall diplomatic process. Therefore one must not distinguish between the economic situation and the effects of the Israeli wall and the settlements, for example, on the economic situation.

“What is needed is a mechanism for the implementation of all the ideas as one in order to reach the goal, which is ending the occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state with 1967 borders.”

Blair also met with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. Blair, who arrived in the region on Monday, has already held talks with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Vice Premier Haim Ramon.

Many Palestinians here expressed skepticism over Blair’s mission. Even Palestinian officials admitted that Blair’s task as special envoy of the Quartet is not going to be smooth.

Most Palestinians do not view Blair as an honest broker, mainly because of his close association with US President George W. Bush and his role in the Iraq war. Only a few Palestinians interviewed on the streets of Ramallah said they were hopeful about Blair’s mission.

“Tony Blair is not our friend,” said Abdullah Ali, a 25-year-old university student. “We don’t believe in this man and that’s why we are not pinning high hopes on him. If he really wants to help the Palestinians, he must exert pressure on Israel to remove all the checkpoints and release our prisoners from Israeli jails.”

His friend, Samer Abu Sabaha, 22, said Blair was making a “big mistake” by refusing to talk to Hamas during his current mission. “We want to see Blair talk to our democratically elected government,” he said.

Muhammad Siam, a 48-year-old construction worker, said Blair had come to the region “to serve the interests of Israel and his master, Bush.” The Palestinians, he added, shall never forgive Britain for the last century’s Balfour Declaration, which promised the Jews a state in Palestine.