Blair Meets Arnold On Last Day In Office

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger met Tuesday to discuss the trans-Atlantic battle against global warming.

The pair held breakfast talks at 10 Downing St. in Blair's final meeting with a foreign official before he steps down as Britain's prime minister on Wednesday.

Schwarzenegger, who has put major emphasis on the fight against climate change, praised Blair's "great leadership" on the environment.

He said that during a decade in power, the British leader has "proven to the world that you can do both, you can protect the Earth and protect the economy."

Last year, Schwarzenegger signed legislation that imposed the first statewide cap on greenhouse gases. The move put California at odds with the Bush administration, which has resisted global agreements to limit emissions.

Blair said a declaration on climate change agreed by the G-8 group of industrialized nations earlier this month was a major step forward.

"For the first time at the G-8 a few weeks ago we have an agreement on the basic principles for a new global deal on climate change," Blair told reporters.

The agreement calls for a "substantial cut" in the greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming, although it does not commit nations to an exact figure.

On Monday, Schwarzenegger held talks in Paris with new French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Schwarzenegger said after the talks that he admired Sarkozy "tremendously," and believed he would "put a new energy in the relationship between France and other countries, and our state."

The governor was scheduled to return to California later Tuesday.

Meanwhile, speculation increased over what Blair will do after he leaves office. The Financial Times newspaper reported Monday that Blair was expected to be named the new international envoy to the Middle East peace process, but there were reported disagreements among the Quartet of Middle East negotiators on approving Blair to the post.

According to diplomats, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the discussions, Russia – a member of the quartet along with the United States, the European Union, and the United Nations — objected to Blair's appointment.

President Bush, the European Union and many of the Arab countries in the Middle East had given Blair their backing.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has expressed support for the idea that Blair could play a role in the Middle East.

However, Gordon Brown, who will succeed Blair as prime minister, is said to be unhappy with the proposal because it will distract from his plans to use economic incentives to promote reconciliation between the Israelis and Palestinians, The Financial Times reported.