Secretary-General meets Barbadian leader, Middle East envoy 

8 August 2007 Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is holding talks today with the Prime Minister of Barbados, where last night he met with Tony Blair, the new envoy of the diplomatic Quartet on the Middle East, a United Nations spokesperson announced.

The meeting with Prime Minister Owen Arthur will also focus on the work of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the regional economic grouping, Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters.

Later today Mr. Ban is expected to meet Barbados’ Attorney-General, Dale Arthur, before heading back to Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Headquarters in New York tomorrow.

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 Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Stabilization Mission (MINUSTAH) and Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ agencies.

Last night, while in Bridgetown, the Barbadian capital, Mr. Ban held a working dinner with Tony Blair, the recently appointed envoy of the Middle East Quartet, the international diplomatic grouping that includes the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ.

Mr. Ban and Mr. Blair, a former British prime minister, discussed recent developments in the region and the ongoing efforts of the Quartet to bring about a peaceful solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

The Quartet is comprised of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ, the European Union, Russia and the United States.