Newly appointed Quartet Middle East envoy Tony Blair told Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Tuesday night he wants to focus on "practical steps" towards solving the Israeli-Palestinian Authority (PA) dispute. The Quartet is comprised of the United Nations, United States, Russia and the European Union (EU). Israel "is willing to take practical steps, but these steps cannot be one-sided," said Miri Eisen, the Prime Minister's spokeswoman.
Blair did not specify what he meant by practical steps. but PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said on Tuesday that "vague" agreements will make a failure out of the proposed international Middle East conference to be held in November in the United States. Blair is to meet Palestinian PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad on Wednesday and will remain in the region for another week.