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Tony Blair announces major jobs and investment boost for Palestinian territories

Quartet Representative Tony Blair today took part in the launch of two major projects which will provide a vital boost in both jobs and investment to the Palestinian economy - and which have been at the heart of his agenda to change the "facts on the ground."

Mr Blair welcomed the opening of the Jalameh vehicle crossing which will provide a massive boost to the north of the West Bank by allowing private cars through for the first time since the second intifada.

In response to a request from the Quartet Representative in May 2008 to the Government of Israel to allow open the crossing to privately owned vehicles, as a first step Arab-Israeli pedestrians were allowed to use crossing from August 2008.

The crossing has now been upgraded to accommodate cars. This will have a significant economic impact and is to be warmly welcomed. On the first Saturday that the crossing was fully open more than 500 cars entered Jenin through the crossing.

After meeting with business people in Jenin and going on a city centre walkabout with Governor Mousa, Tony Blair headed down to Ramallah for the launch of the Wataniya mobile phone network.

Wataniya is scheduled to invest US $700 million in the Palestinian economy over a 10 year period, creating at least 750 skilled jobs and an additional 2,000 indirect jobs. This is the largest Foreign Direct Investment into the Palestinian economy. Wataniya will bring in revenues for the Palestinian Authority: in addition to regular tax revenues created by its operations, US$ 354 million in licensing fees for the PA are being generated.

Tony Blair, speaking to CNN's Christiane Amanpour, said: "The Palestinian economy here on the West Bank is actually growing strongly."

"We just made a major opening now which will allow better trade between Arab-Israelis and Palestinians in the city of Jenin and we just launched a second mobile telephony company.

"There are good things happening as well, but obviously it's important we find a way to relaunch and restart the political negotiation," he added.

In the news:

Blair Hails Economic Steps in West Bank (New York Times)