British Prime Minister Tony Blair insisted today there were "signs of progress" in the Middle East as he called on the European Union to help drive forward the peace process.
He said US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was making a valuable contribution and that the EU had to play its own part.
"I think there are some hopeful signs of progress," he told his monthly Downing Street press conference. The challenge was to build the capabilities of the Palestinian Authority and President Mahmoud Abbas, he said.
Dr Rice was showing the "necessary urgency and drive", Mr Blair said, adding: "There is a need to grip this and to drive it forward. I repeat there is nothing more important."
Under Germany's presidency, he added, the EU now had to help build the Palestinian Authority. "The fact is we've got the opportunity to play a role in this issue in a way we have not had before, and I think we should play that role and carry it through."