Blair takes on Rwanda role
Friday, 18 Jan 2008 09:58
Tony Blair is interested in improving Rwandan governance
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Tony Blair has added to his post-Downing Street portfolio by becoming an advisor to the Rwandan government, a newspaper reports.
The former prime minister left No 10 last summer and since then has become a popular figure on the after-dinner speech circuit, especially in the US.
His most well-known current role is as envoy to the
Middle East Quartet, consisting of Russia, the US, EU and the UN, where Mr Blair is concentrating on building Palestinian institutions to facilitate progress towards a two-state solution with
Israel.
Now the former prime minister has dispatched three ex-Downing Street staff to begin discussions with president Paul Kagame on an unpaid advisory post, the Guardian claims.
Rwanda is a heavily-indebted state, dependent on aid for much of its government's budget, with over 50 per cent of its population living in poverty according to the World Health Organisation.
The Guardian reports the 54-year-old is interested in helping raise funds for the Rwandan government after being impressed by its efforts to recover from the 1994 genocide. Mr Blair has already met with Mr Kagame since leaving office last year, it adds.
Last week US bank JP Morgan announced it has secured the former Labour leader's services as a senior adviser. Speculation in the wake of the appointment suggested Mr Blair's first private sector job since leaving politics could earn him up to £500,000 a year.