LONDON — World leaders have offered their condolences after the death of former President Jimmy Carter at the age of 100.
Carter died Sunday afternoon in Plains, Georgia, the Carter Center wrote in a message to President X Joe Biden. led the tributesSaying that “America and the world have lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian.”
Foreign leaders were quick to pay their respects.
In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Carter’s legacy is “compassion, kindness, empathy and hard work. He served others both at home and around the world his entire life – and he loved doing it. He was always thoughtful and generous with his advice to me.”
Former President Jimmy Carter attends an interview with Reuters in Cairo, Egypt, January 12, 2012.
Amr Dalsh/Reuters
“My deepest condolences go out to the Carter family, his many loved ones, and Americans grieving a former president and lifelong humanitarian,” Trudeau added. “May his selfless service continue to inspire us all in the years to come.”
BrazilIn a message to X, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said, above all, that Carter “was a lover of democracy and a defender of peace.”
Lula recalled Carter’s pressure to free political prisoners during Brazil’s military dictatorship in the 1970s. “Later, as a former president, he continued to campaign for human rights, peace and disease eradication in Africa and Latin America,” the president added.
“Carter achieved the feat of having a job as a former president for decades that was as important or even more important than his tenure in the White House,” Lula wrote.
European leaders also arrived in tribute. Many cited one of Carter’s most important foreign policy achievements in brokering the Camp David Accords in 1978, which led to the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty the following year.
“Throughout his life, Jimmy Carter has been a staunch defender of the rights of the most vulnerable and has constantly fought for peace,” said French President Emmanuel Macron. “France sends his thoughts to his family and the American people.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was “deeply sorry to hear of President Carter’s death. I pay tribute to his decades of selfless public service. My thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.”
President Jimmy Carter (C), Egyptian President Anwar Sadat (L) and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin (R) join to celebrate the signing of the 1979 Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty at the White House in Washington March 26. , 1979.
Jimmy Carter Library/via Reuters
King Charles III expressed “great sadness” at the news. “His dedication and humility served as an inspiration to many, and I fondly remember his visit to the UK in 1977.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wrote: “We join our American friends in mourning the loss of former President Jimmy Carter. The US has lost a committed fighter for democracy. The world has lost a great mediator for peace and human rights in the Middle East. .”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Carter continues to support democracy and human rights even at the end of his life.
“He was a leader who served at a time when Ukraine was not yet independent, but his heart firmly held him in the fight for our freedom,” Zelenskyy wrote.
“We greatly appreciate his steadfast commitment to the Christian faith and democratic values, as well as his continued support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s unprovoked aggression,” he added.
“He gave his life to promoting peace in the world and defending human rights. Today, let us remember: peace is the issue, and the world must remain united against those who threaten these values.”
President George W. Bush welcomes former US Presidents George HW Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter and President-elect Barack Obama in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, January 7, 2009.
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Carter “served his country with honor, and humanity with compassion. His work advanced peace, health and democracy around the world.”
“He will be remembered for his moral leadership,” he added. “May his noble legacy live on.”
