Sydney  - Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd confirmed Tuesday that former foreign minister Alexander Downer would leave Parliament to become UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's envoy to Cyprus peace talks between the divided island's Greeks and Turks.

"Mr Rudd told the secretary general that Mr Downer has the complete support of the new Australian government in his new role," a spokesman for Rudd said after revealing the contents of a telephone phone call with Ban.

Brendan Nelson, who took over the Liberal Party leadership after John Howard lost power at the November 2007 general election, has supported Downer's candidacy even though his leaving Parliament would force a by-election.

"Alexander Downer has enormous ability. He's Australia's longest- serving foreign minister, and I'm not surprised that anybody would want to engage his considerable experience and skills," Nelson said.

Cyprus is a European Union member but remains divided despite decades of diplomacy to try and resolve the political impasse since 1974 on the Mediterranean island.

Downer, 56, briefly led the Liberal Party in 1995 before passing the leadership to Howard, who went on to win four elections before losing government and his parliamentary seat in November.

"I will be working towards helping the Cyprus saga, working as an envoy to try and resolve that long-standing issue," Downer, speaking in London, told The Australian newspaper.

The son of a diplomat, Downer went to school in London and earned an economics degree from Newcastle University. He returned to Australia to join the diplomatic service himself. (dpa)