Christopher Leak, Will Stewart: A Major Deal in Kazakhstan!

Tony Blair, the billionaire donor Lakshmi Mittal, and a major deal in Kazakhstan: Tony Blair secured a deal to represent Kazakhstan, after meeting with billionaire Labor donor Lakshmi Mittal in the corruption-plagued country, according to the Mail on Sunday. Steel magnate Mittal, who has given more than millions to Labour, sat next to Mr. Blair at a meeting of powerful inter -national businessmen in the Kazakh capital Astana in May. The former Labor Prime Minister's meeting with Mr. Mittal will inevitably raise fresh claims that he has cashed in on his decade in power at Downing Street. Mr. Mittal is Britain's richest man, with a fortune of more than 20 billion pounds, and is the biggest employer in Kazakhstan. He employs 50,000 people there, and is close to the country's president, Nursultan Nazarbayev. In 2001. Mr. Blair's links to Mr. Mittal were questioned, after it was revealed that he wrote a letter supporting the Indian-born billionaire's deal to buy Romania's state-owned steel firm, just two weeks after he made an enormous donation to Labour. Both parties denied Mr. Blair's support was connected with the donation. Mr. Blair's letter to the Romanian government hinted that the privatization of the company, and its sale to Mr. Mittal might help smooth the way for the country's entry into the European Union.