AKIPRESS.COM - Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said the West must work with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Islamist extremism and other sources of conflict in the Middle East—even as it takes a strong line with Moscow over its actions in Ukraine, he told Wall Street Journal in an interview in Brussels on Tuesday.

In an interview, Blair described Islamist extremism as “the largest long-term security threat we face” and said the West had to be ready to cooperate with Moscow and other countries such as China and India to confront it.

Europe couldn’t be indifferent to the annexation of the territory of a country on its doorstep, he said, but “Russia remains a powerful player, and in certain areas including the Middle East at the present time they are an important component of how we deal with these challenges.” Russia would likely have to be involved in finding a solution in Syria, he said.

In addition, he defended his role advising authoritarian governments such as Kazakhstan, which he said was “an important ally for the West and the work we do there is an important for the future of the country.”

Mr. Blair, who stepped down as prime minister in 2007, said he spends 70% of his time on unpaid work, including as Middle East envoy and running two charitable foundations. But he said his business—Tony Blair Associates—“creates the whole infrastructure” that employs now some 200 people.

WSJ: "You’ve come under criticism for giving advice to countries like Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia and so on. Is that something you feel sensitive to? Have you ever felt that that criticism has some justification?"

Mr. Blair: "I spend probably 70% of my time on the unpaid work, the role in the Middle East which is ex officio and takes an enormous amount of my time, and the two foundations, one is Africa and interfaith.

The business side is important however. It helps create the whole infrastructure. We have 200 people working for us now.

But I don’t do anything that I don’t think is justified in its own terms. As I always say to people about Kazakhstan, I totally understand all the criticisms and the need for the country to evolve politically and in human-rights terms. But the work we are doing there is to help the country make reforms around things like civil administration, public procurement and rule of law, these are important reforms and Kazakhstan is an important country. It’s the size of western Europe with a population of 17 million people, between Russia and China yet an ally of the West, majority Muslim population country, yet moderate, and open-minded and tolerant. It gave up its nuclear weapons rather than retaining them, and multiplied its economic growth 10 times over the last 20 years. It’s an important ally for the West and the work we do there is important for the future of the country. In the end, I work in places where I think it’s justified. And I don’t where I don’t."