Former UK prime minister Tony Blair will be stepping down from his role as Middle Eastern envoy in June, newswires reported Wednesday.
Officials told the Associated Press Blair had sent his letter to UN Sec. Gen. Ban Ki-Moon confirming his resignation.
Blair has been the representative of the US, Russia, UN and EU — the quartet of Middle East peace negotiators — for nearly eight years. The former UK leader was put in charge of helping to develop the Palestinian economy.
Blair has received criticism over his business interests and his role as peacemaker, which some said were a conflict of interest. A group of former British ambassadors last year called for his removal as Middle East envoy after controversy over his handling of the crisis in Iraq, The Guardian reported.
