Former UK prime minister and crusader against the "Axis of Evil" Tony Blair delivered a speech Wednesday calling for Western powers to "take sides" in Middle East foreign policy and to move the issue of "religious extremism" to the top of their agenda.

The Vatican announced Tuesday it would host a workshop early in the new year to brainstorm peaceful solutions to the ongoing civil war in Syria.The Vatican has invited leading figures including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Mohamed ElBaradei, the Egyptian former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to brainstorming sessions on Jan. 13.

Mr Blair's elite audience also watched a video message from Bill Gates, the billionaire philanthropist co-founder of Microsoft. Neither man appears to have been aware that the event, last November, was a "soft power" exercise approved at top levels in the PLA.

Tony Blair's faith foundation works with universities in countries including the US, China, the UK, Canada and Sierra Leone. He also lectures at Yale. Mr Blair gave his views on university globalization to the BBC News website.

As the Middle East rages, Tony Blair argues that religion can help reform the region and bring about liberal democracies. He speaks to Lisa Miller about his latest diplomatic efforts—and his appearance today at Rick Warren’s church.

News.Az interviews Jonathan Powell, chief of staff to UK Prime Minister Tony Blair from 1994 to 2007.

“We have asked Mr. Blair and Mr. Hitchens to wrestle with the more immediate question facing developed and developing nations: Is religion a force for peace or conflict in the modern world?”