TEL AVIV, January 26, 2009 (WAFA)- Haaretz Israeli daily newspaper said, Likud chairman Benjamin Netanyahu told Quartet envoy Tony Blair Sunday, that Likud-led government would not build new Jewish colonies in the West Bank.

Haaretz revealed that Netanyahu apparently,  attempts to calm the international community before this week's arrival of George Mitchell, the newly appointed US envoy to the Middle East.

The Daily reported that Netanyahu told Blair, 'I have no intention of building new settlements in the West Bank,' 'but like all the governments there have been until now, I will have to meet the needs of natural growth in the population. I will not be able to choke the settlements.'

Netanyahu also said he plans to work to advance negotiations with the Palestinians quickly and to focus on economic development, according to the Paper which quoted: 'Every moment of stagnation isn't good, and I plan to deal with the Palestinian issue very intensively.'