Latest News

Blair to join chair donors' conference

Tony Blair is to be one of three chairmen for a major donors' conference for the Palestinian Territories in December, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner has announced.

The conference, to be held at the request of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, aims to mobilize donors to provide political and financial support to the Palestinian Authority and will follow a separate peace conference in the United States, Mr Kouchner said.

Mr Blair will chair the conference along with Mr Kouchner and Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere.

The United States is seeking agreement between Israel and the Palestinians on key issues for a Middle East conference expected to take place in November or December in Annapolis, Maryland.

"This is a moment of hope for this process but there's a lot of work to do," said Mr Blair.

"We need a strong agreement for the Annapolis conference in the United States and then obviously what we have to do is get the international community in support of that agreement, and in support of the Palestinians, as they build the capabilities and the institutions necessary for statehood," he told reporters.

In a statement, the French Foreign Ministry said the donors' conference would focus on "improving the daily life of Palestinians and creating the basic foundations for a state."