Vatican gives Blair best wishes after talks

? The Vatican on Saturday bid farewell to Tony Blair as British prime minister, wishing him well on what it said were his plans to work for Middle East peace and interreligious dialogue.

Blair held long talks with Pope Benedict XVI, with the Vatican stop on his farewell tour fueling rumors that he plans to convert to Catholicism. The two men met privately for 25 minutes and then were joined for further talks by English Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor.

A Vatican press office called the audience a normal meeting between the pope and a government leader. Blair leaves office on Wednesday.

The statement, issued after the talks with Benedict and a separate meeting with Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, said there was a “frank” assessment of the international situation, including such “delicate” themes as the Middle East conflict and the future of the European Union.

The statement said that best wishes were expressed for Blair’s future, saying that he has expressed the desire “to dedicate himself in a particular way for peace in the Middle East and for interreligious dialogue.”