Blair: Davos provides special opportunity to discuss Mideast, climate change

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said here Wednesday that the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting has provided a special opportunity to discuss the political status of the Mideast peace process, as well as ways to attract business chances and investment in the Palestinian territories.

Blair, envoy for the Mideast Quartet and co-chair of the Davos event, told a press conference at the opening of the meet that the public and economic leaders are also expected to talk about the "broader issues" of the Mideast region.

Blair was speaking just one day after Palestinian business and political leaders said his peace mission in the Middle East is doomed because he is not prepared to confront the Israelis.

Yasser Abed Rabbo, the chief Palestinian negotiator, gave Blair's mission to revive the West Bank's economy a "5 percent chance" unless he was prepared to talk tough to Israel over loosening restrictions on freedom of movement.

In Davos, Blair is scheduled to meet with Israeli President Shimon Peres, Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak, and Palestinian National Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad to discuss the latest developments concerning the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Besides the Mideast peace process, which is likely to be a major theme, climate change, terrorism, nuclear proliferation and poverty and disease eradication are also on the agenda.

Blair also said "2008 will be a crucial year to see whether it is possible to get the outlines" for a framework on climate change at the Group of Eight summit in Japan.

The Davos meeting will discuss what role business can play in climate change, and the question of the right balance between how "we make sure the developed countries fulfill their obligations" and how the developing nations realize their promises, he said.

On collaboration and innovation, Blair said it is important to see how cultures can work together to resolve the questions arise from the rapidly changing world.

Both Blair and former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, also co-chair of the Davos event, called for a relaunching of the Doha round talks of the World Trade Organization.

Wang Jianzhou, chairman of the China Mobile Communications Corporation and co-chair of the Davos meeting, called on companies around the world to take their social responsibilities to tackle global challenges ranging from climate change to collaboration and innovation.

"Both collaboration and innovation is very important to the world today," he said.

The five-day WEF annual meeting started in this Swiss ski resort on Wednesday under the principal theme of "the Power of Collaborative Innovation," bringing together the world's political and business elites.