by PHILIP SPOONER

FORMER BRITISH PRIME Minister Tony Blair and Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon met for talks in Barbados Tuesday night. The topic was the political climate in the Middle East.

Since stepping down as Prime Minister, Blair has been appointed the international envoy for the Diplomatic Quartet – the United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia – on the Middle East. He is in Barbados on his annual holiday and met with Ban at an upscale West Coast venue.

In its daily reports yesterday, the UN outlined that the two "discussed recent developments in the Middle East and the ongoing efforts of the Quartet to bring about a peaceful solution to the conflict between Israel
and the Palestinians."

International reports have indicated Blair faces serious obstacles to success in a role that has doomed all his predecessors. It is also noted that many Arabs resent Blair's role in invading Iraq. In his favour may be the eagerness among leaders on both sides to raise their stock at home by showing progress toward peace.

Ban also met with Prime Minister Owen Arthur. According to the UN statement, during his visit to Government headquarters Ban and Arthur focused "on the work of CARICOM".

Ban, who arrived here last Thursday, had previously met other senior Government officials to discuss ways in which the UN would assist Barbados and the Caribbean in its fight against the drug trade and global warming among other issues.

The Secretary-General was also slated to meet with Attorney-General Dale Marshall but the details were not revealed. Ban is expected to return to UN headquarters in New York today.

The Secretary-General's visit to Barbados follows a two-day trip last week to Haiti, where he told journalists that he was encouraged by progress on a number of fronts, thanks to the efforts of the UN Stabilisation Mission and UN agencies," the statement said.