Talks precede Blair's visit to Cairo as Quartet envoy CAIRO: Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit met with both Middle East Quartet Envoy Tony Blair and newly appointed Foreign Secretary David Miliband in London Wednesday as he returned from a trip to the US. According to the Foreign Ministry, Blair was keen on meeting Aboul Gheit to take stock of the Egyptian viewpoint regarding the situation in the Palestinian territories and the intricacies of the relationship between the Palestinians and Israelis. Additionally, Aboul Gheit was himself keen to gauge Blair's views on building the institutions of the Palestinian National Authority and improving the capabilities of the state. According to the ministry's report, Blair indicated that it was also imperative that this be done in tandem with resuming efforts in the scope of Palestinian-Israeli relations to reach the desired two-state solution. The former British Prime Minister is due to come to Cairo this month in his new capacity as the envoy for Middle East Peace for the Quartet, which comprises the EU, US, UN and Russia. Aboul Gheit also expressed the hope that Blair's close ties with America and Israel could help push for a political solution leading to the creation of a Palestinian state rather than "relying solely on economic support or lessening security restraints in the hope of alleviating the prevailing tension, according to the statement. Former Egyptian Ambassador to Israel Mohammed Bassiouny told The Daily Star Egypt that "Blair is now a representative of the Quartet, and he will be presenting their offers and carrying across their viewpoint. While in London, Aboul Gheit also met with new Foreign Secretary David Miliband, the Foreign Ministry announced. And while many topics were discussed, again it was the developments in the Palestinian-Israeli issue that came to the fore. As with Blair, Aboul Gheit reiterated Egypt's desire for a political solution to the issue, in addition to supporting Palestinian institutions and the economy. The topic of Iraq was also on the agenda, "where the two Ministers exchanged viewpoints concerning the various way of offering support and effort in order to restore stability and security to Iraq and preserve its unity, the report said. Miliband, who prior to his new appointment was the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural affairs, expressed a desire to visit Egypt in the near future. Miliband is of Polish-Jewish descent and his parents are child survivors of the holocaust. His father was noted left wing political theorist Ralph Miliband.
