In this Sept. 4, 2007 file photo, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer gestures in Sydney. Downer has accepted a post as the U.N. special envoy in charge of finding a solution to the longstanding conflict in Cyprus, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Tuesday, July 1, 2008. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith,File)
AP - Alexander Downer announced Thursday he is quitting Australian politics following a career as the country's longest-serving foreign minister and one of its highest-profile leaders of the past decade. |