Blair attends first Quartet talks
Tony Blair is beginning his new role as an envoy for the Middle East at a meeting of the Quartet group in Lisbon.
The Quartet, made up of the EU, the US, Russia and the UN, hopes to move towards restarting peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
It is the group's first meeting since the Islamic militant group Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip last month.
Before the meeting, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice rejected dealing with Hamas until it recognised Israel.
"We have a very good partner in Mahmoud Abbas, who after all is the elected president of the Palestinian people," Ms Rice said.
"It makes very good sense to work with him and Hamas, I think, knows what is expected for international respectability."
Her remarks were echoed by Portuguese Foreign Minister Luis Amado, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the EU.
"I see no conditions at the moment to engage [in] new relations with Hamas without a new position from them," he said.
Limited mandate
The Quartet wants Hamas to recognise Israel's right to exist, renounce terrorism and sign up to past agreements with Israel.
Also at the UN talks are UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Mr Blair's mandate is limited to helping the Palestinians to develop their institutions and economy.
But if Mr Blair wants to be more than a fringe player in the Middle East, says the BBC's Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen, he will have to get Israel, the Palestinians and the Quartet members talking about final status issues.
These include the position of Israel's permanent borders, Jewish settlements on Palestinian territory and the fate of Palestinian refugees.
There is also the status of Jerusalem, claimed by Israel as its capital, but where the Palestinians also want to make their capital.
Mr Blair's appointment last month was welcomed by Israel and the Palestinian Authority, led by Mr Abbas whose Fatah faction controls the West Bank.
However, Hamas said Mr Blair had not been honest or helpful while prime minister, because of his position during Israel's war against Hezbollah in Lebanon and the invasion of Iraq.
Mr Blair takes up the role days after US President George W Bush called for a new push for peace in the Middle East.
He called for a peace conference later this year that would involve the US, Israel and some of its Arab neighbours.
Blair attends first Quartet talks
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