Tony Blair intends to create a global foundation to foster “greater understanding” between the three “Abrahamic faiths” of Christianity, Judaism and Islam after he leaves Downing Street, The Times has learnt.

The Prime Minister, who tomorrow will announce his time-table for resignation, is expected to make the project the main focus of his energies when he leaves office this summer.

A member of his tight-knit inner-circle of advisers confirmed yesterday that Mr Blair is looking to “set up some sort of interfaith organisation”, saying: “He sees this as where the action is and nobody else is really doing it.”

The foundation, which will be based in London and modelled closely on that of former President Clinton, will also provide him with a platform to pursue other issues including global warming, African development and the Middle East peace process.

Blair casts himself as EU president candidate

Speaking on French TV, Tony Blair sang the praises of the EU and sketched his agenda for its future, all in fluent French

Multimedia

• The Blair years: video, pictures and analysis

• Interactive Blair Timeline

• BlairTube

BACKGROUND

• The past decade a disaster?

• All about Iraq? Don’t you believe it

• I’ll give Blair six and a half out of ten

Multimedia

• Blair fashion gallery

• Cherie Blair picture gallery

• Brookes on Blair

But friends dismissed speculation that Mr Blair was preparing to become President Bush’s peace envoy in the Middle East – or even take over from Paul Wolfowitz, the embattled President of the World Bank.

“He is not looking for any formal job like that,” said one close ally. “Obviously, he has a certain skill set from his work in Northern Ireland and he could perform a mediation role, but it would depend on what exactly was up for negotiation.”

Instead, the interfaith project will attempt to foster religious – rather than political – harmony in the Middle East and elsewhere across the world, including Britain, where rising tensions with militant Islam have provided the backdrop to many of the worst moments of his ten years in office.

Mr Blair, who was enthusiastically reading the Koran even before the September 11, 2001, attacks on the US, said recently: “The tragedy is that as Christians, Jews and Muslims we are all Abrahamic religions. We regard ourselves as children of Abraham but we have fought for so long.”

In a speech in 2006 he referred to a woman protesting about the Pope’s recent visit to Turkey holding a poster which stated that “Jesus was a prophet but not the Son of God”. This, he said, was “elevating the placard to an altogether higher plane of theology”.

He added: “Most Christians are hugely surprised to be told that the Koran reveres Jesus as a prophet. Many Jews, Muslims and Christians are entirely ignorant of the rich Abrahamic heritage we share in common.”

Although aides acknowledge that the new project may face resistance from Muslims who loathe him for his role as an ally to Mr Bush and in the invasion of Iraq, Mr Blair believes that he can appeal to moderate Islam.

Last year he met Pope Benedict XVI to discuss “how best interfaith dialogue can help with conflict resolution and how the moderate voices of the world’s main religions need to work together”.

Funding for the new organisation is expected to come from wealthy donors in the US and the Arab world, as well as Britain. But advisers insist that preparations are still at an early stage. “He will start thinking about this properly the day after he steps down. He is still quite busy at the moment,” said one. They expect him to continue serving as an MP until the next general election “unless he takes a role which requires him to be away from London for long periods”.

Canon Guy Wilkinson, the Church of England’s adviser on interfaith relations, said: “The Prime Minister has always been very supportive of the work the churches do in interfaith dialogue. The more that people enter into this debate with serious intent, the better.”

Sir Sigmund Sternberg, an interfaith leader who discussed the project with Mr Blair at the recent World Economic Forum meeting, said: “He can bring in business people. There are very few involved in interfaith work at the moment.” Alice Miles, page 19

Shared faith

Noah (Noach in Judaism, Nuh in Islam) Built an ark to save his family from a flood

Abraham (Avraham, Ibrahim) Considered the father of the people of Israel through his son Isaac; additionally, Muslims consider him father of Islam through Ishmael

Joseph (Yosef, Yousef) Known for his coloured coat and his ability to interpret dreams

Moses (Moshe, Musa) Led the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery and transcribed the Ten Commandments directly from God

Worship of one God, the God of Abraham

Believe that God created the world in six days and that Adam and Eve were the first humans

Times Recommends

• Fern Britton: 'I still can't see that I was wrong'
• Extreme cooking
• Easy French: Tarte Tatin