WASHINGTON: Joe Biden led US presidents and other world leaders in paying tribute to Jimmy Carter, who died aged 100.
“America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House on Sunday.
He added later in a televised address that Carter “lived a life measured not by words, but by his deeds.”
“We’d all do well to try and be a little more like Jimmy Carter.”
President-elect Donald Trump said Americans owe Carter “a debt of gratitude.”
“The challenges Jimmy faced as president came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans,” he said on social media.
Among former US presidents, Bill Clinton said his predecessor had “worked tirelessly for a better, fairer world.”
George W. Bush said Carter “dignified the office. And his efforts to leave behind a better world didn’t end with the presidency.”
Barack Obama hailed Carter for teaching “all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice and service.”
The 39th US president “was early to recognize that protecting our shared planet and promoting global public health were vital to national security interests,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
Pope Francis “was saddened to learn” of Carter’s death, recalling his “firm commitment, motivated by deep Christian faith, to the cause of reconciliation and peace between peoples, the defence of human rights and the welfare of the poor and those in need”, said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state.
At the United Nations, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Carter would be remembered “for his solidarity with the vulnerable, his abiding grace, and his unrelenting faith in the common good and our common humanity.”
World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted Carter’s post-presidency work with his foundation “saved countless lives and helped bring many neglected tropical diseases close to elimination.”
Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi praised Carter as “a symbol of humanitarian efforts” for his role in brokering the historic 1978 Camp David Accords, which established peace between Egypt and its most serious adversary at the time, Israel.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said the treaty Carter clinched “remains an anchor of stability throughout the Middle East and North Africa many decades later.”
“His legacy will be defined by his deep commitment to forging peace between nations,” Herzog said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for Carter’s “noble legacy” to live on.
“His work advanced peace, health and democracy worldwide,” she said. “He will be remembered for his moral leadership.” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said with the death of Carter, “The United States lost a fighter for democracy. The world lost a great mediator for peace in the Middle East and for human rights.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Carter “was always thoughtful and generous with his advice to me.” Mexico’s ministry of foreign affairs called Carter’s death a “regrettable loss.”
Britain’s head of state King Charles III said Carter’s “dedication and humility served as an inspiration to many,” while Prime Minister Keir Starmer paid tribute to the US leader’s “lifelong dedication to peace.”
In Panama, where Carter reached an agreement to hand over the Panama Canal, then under US control, President Jose Mulino praised the Democrat for helping his country achieve “full sovereignty.”
Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva hailed Carter as “a lover of democracy and defender of peace,” noting his pressuring of Brazil’s dictatorship to release political prisoners.
“He will be remembered forever as a name that defends the idea that peace is the most important condition for development,” Lula said.
Though many focused on his time in office, from 1977-1981, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky highlighted Carter’s “unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s unprovoked aggression.”
French President Emmanuel Macron said Carter had “been a steadfast advocate for the rights of the most vulnerable and has tirelessly fought for peace.”
In China, where Carter’s administration normalized diplomatic relations with Beijing in 1978, leader Xi Jinping said he was “deeply saddened”.
Carter “had long made significant contributions to advancing the development of China-US ties and fostering friendly exchanges and cooperation between the two countries”, state broadcaster CCTV reported Xi as saying.
Carter’s legacy lies even beyond Earth, as NASA Administrator Bill Nelson pointed out Sunday.
The space agency’s Voyager 1 probe, launched in 1977 and still flying through the stars, carries a recorded message from Carter “that captures his core goodness and grace.”
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