RIYADH, 10 December 2007 — Middle East envoy and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said last night that his talks with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah focused on the Middle East peace process with special reference to the security situation in the region.
“My discussions were mainly on the topic of the peace process,” said Blair, when asked about the specifics of his meeting with the king at his palace last night.
“We feel the need to keep the pressure to get action and to get the changes we need to make the peace process work,” said Blair, speaking during a reception hosted by the Riyadh branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS), which was inaugurated here amid great fanfare.
The London-based RAeS, which is the world’s only professional body dedicated to the entire aerospace community, has set up a branch in Riyadh to locally support the society’s projects.
After his wide-ranging talks with King Abdullah, Blair drove to the British Embassy, where he met the RAeS Riyadh branch’s staff.
The meeting between King Abdullah and Blair was attended by Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Intelligence chief Prince Muqrin, Willian Patey, British ambassador, and Adel Al-Jubeir, Saudi ambassador to the US.
Blair also said that the Annapolis conference revived hope about returning to the peace process. “The Paris conference, to be held on Dec. 17, would help the Palestinians plan their future... This will be a chance for the international community to ensure support for the Palestinian people,” he said.
Blair, who will be visiting other countries in the Middle East, said that the Palestinians need help to support themselves and develop their institutions. This is Blair’s third visit to Saudi Arabia in the last few months, since he became the International Quartet’s envoy to the Middle East.
“The visits of Blair, in fact, are part of the continuing program to hold discussions and negotiations with countries involved in the Middle East peace process. The visits are aimed at achieving a lasting peace between Israel and Palestine,” said an official.
