Paper: Blair Sees Palestinian Jobs Projects Ready Soon -AFP PARIS (AFP)--
Special Middle East peace envoy Tony Blair said in an interview published Sunday that he hopes to announce within days projects to create jobs for tens of thousands of Palestinians. Blair told France's Journal du Dimanche that the projects would represent tens of thousands of jobs for Palestinians who have faced widespread unemployment since Israel closed the border to most workers following the launch of the second intifada in 2000. With an international meeting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict due to take place in Annapolis, Md., on Nov. 27, the former U.K. prime minister said the peace process is credible. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, who also took part in the interview, said he "shared the optimism, even if it is always risky to be optimistic." "Nobody is saying Annapolis will be anything other than the beginning of a process, but its start would even be a success, maybe fragile," he was quoted as saying by the newspaper. Blair said he believes the main problem today is that the Israelis won't give their agreement to the creation of a Palestinian state until they are certain it will be governed properly and security ensured. (END) Dow Jones NewswiresNovember 17, 2007 22:30 ET (03:30 GMT)
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