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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, April 24, 2003

Blair, Aznar Hold Talks on Mideast, Iraq

British Prime Minister Tony Blair met with his Spanish counterpart, Jose Maria Aznar, on Wednesday for talks on Mideast peace process and future of Iraq.


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British Prime Minister Tony Blair met with his Spanish counterpart, Jose Maria Aznar, on Wednesday for talks on Mideast peace process and future of Iraq.

Speaking after talks with Aznar and via telephone with US President George W. Bush, Blair told a Downing Street press conference that the situation in Iraq was continuing to stabilize and the Iraqi people could have future of prosperity.

"The Iraqi people, given the chance, given their character as apeople and given the potential wealth of their country, could have a future of prosperity," Blair said.

Blair, the firm US ally in war with Iraq, also welcomed news that progress was being made by Palestinian Prime Minister designate Mahmoud Abbas also known as Abu Mazen.

"We are delighted that the Palestinian cabinet is agreed under Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas," Blair said.

"There is now every chance we can make progress in the Middle East," Blair added.

At the press conference, Aznar, who also defied public opinion at home to back the US-led war that toppled Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, echoed Blair's comments and said Britain and Spain would continue working as "good and loyal allies".

He also stressed his commitment to seeing moves to get a Middle East peace process back on track.

Aznar, Blair's principal European ally over the Iraq war, came to London after talks on Iraq and the Middle East with his French counterpart Jean Pierre Raffarin in Paris on Tuesday.

Blair was meeting Aznar following reports that Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat and his prime minister-designate Abbas agreedon Wednesday on the makeup of a reform cabinet, which might clear the way for the publication of the "road map" for Middle East peace.

The US said only after Abbas named his cabinet would Washington publish the "roadmap", which has laid out a series of reciprocal steps, such as ending violence and a freeze of Jewish settlement activity in the occupied territories, leading to the creation of a Palestinian state by 2005 alongside a secure Israel.

The meeting between Blair and Aznar also came after France madea surprise call for sanctions against Iraq to be lifted.

The sanctions had been tipped as a potential sticking point at the United Nations before the French announcement on Tuesday.

British government officials have responded cautiously to the proposal, saying they look forward to seeing the details.

On Wednesday, a spokesman for Blair said, "We do want to see sanctions lifted because of the changed situation. But the best way to do that is through discussions at the UN, because there are complex dove-tailing, sequencing issues, how it works with the oil for food program."


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