CAIRO, December 16, 2006 (WAFA) - British Prime Minister Tony Blair Saturday urged the international community to throw all its weight behind Mahmud Abbas after he called for early elections.

"This is the moment for the international community to come behind him, to help build his authority and his capability, to deliver improvements in the living standards of Palestinian people but also in the progress that we all want to see on resolving the Israel-Palestinian issue," he told reporters after talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo.

"Mahmoud Abbas's decision to call early elections is a strong sign that the Palestinian president is seeking a way out of the deadlock in the peace process," Blair said.

"It's at this very moment that we have got to step forward. If the elected President of the Palestinian people is prepared to give leadership in this situation, we in the international community should be behind him and support him in bringing about the only just solution," he added.

He said it would be a "strategic opportunity missed" if nothing good came out of Abbas's attempt to break the months-old deadlock with fresh elections.

A.D (21:28 P) (19:28 GMT)