By Xinhua
Ramallah : Former British prime minister Tony Blair, the new envoy of the international Middle East quartet, said Tuesday his meeting with Palestinian leaders on his first visit to the West Bank as a peace envoy had been encouraging.
During a news conference held with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in the Palestinian city, Blair described his visit as "a moment for opportunity".
Earlier, he also met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss ways of reviving peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority.
Talking of his meetings with the Palestinian leadership, Blair stressed: "The most important thing at the moment is to listen, learn and reflect.
"At the present time, I'm trying to get a sense and feel of what is happening here."
Fayyad, prime minister of the caretaker government appointed by President Abbas after Hamas' violent takeover of Gaza, said that he expected Blair to help facilitate "the needed international support for our plans in the domain of economy, administration and building the institutions".
He said Blair's assistance "should support the peace process and help achieving what's needed towards ending the occupation and establishing the Palestinian state".
Blair, who arrived in Israel and held talks with Israeli officials Monday, visited the West Bank for talks with the Palestinian side earlier in the day.
This was his first trip to the region as the envoy of the international quartet, which comprises the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Russia.