PM Modi expresses grief over former US President Jimmy Carter's demise, calls him statesman of great vision

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed sadness over the passing away of former US President Jimmy Carter, describing him a "statesman of great vision." PM Modi said that Carter's contributions to fostering strong ties between India and US leave a lasting legacy.

In a post on X, PM Modi stated, "Deeply saddened by the passing of former USA President Mr. Jimmy Carter. A statesman of great vision, he worked tirelessly for global peace and harmony. His contributions to fostering strong India-U.S. ties leave a lasting legacy. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and the people of the US.

In 1978, Jimmy Carter travelled to India as US President. He met India's then-President Neelam Sanjiva Reddy and then-Prime Minister Morarji Desai. During his visit, he also addressed Parliament of India.

Former US President Jimmy Carter passed away at the age of 100 on Sunday (local time) at his home in Plains, Georgia, The Washington Post reported, citing his son James E Carter III.

Carter's son confirmed his death but did not provide an immediate cause. According to the Carter Center's statement from February 2023, after a series of hospital stays, Carter decided to stop further medical treatment and spend his remaining time at home under hospice care.

In recent years, he had been treated for an aggressive form of melanoma skin cancer, with tumors that spread to his liver and brain. Carter was last photographed outside his home with family and friends on October 1, as he watched a flyover held to mark his 100th birthday, The Washington Post reported.

Throughout his lifetime, Jimmy Carter wore many hats. He was a small-town peanut farmer, a US Navy veteran, and the governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975. He became the first president from the Deep South since 1837 and the only Democrat elected president between Lyndon B Johnson and Bill Clinton's terms in the White House.

As the 39th President of the US, Carter is remembered for achieving the signing of the Camp David Accords, which led to the first significant Israeli withdrawal from territory captured in the Six-Day War of 1967 and a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt that has endured.

In recognition of his efforts, Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for "his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development," according to the Nobel Prize statement.
Carter also played a role in pushing through the Panama Canal treaties, which placed the critical waterway under Panamanian control, improving US ties with Latin American neighbours. 

(Except for the headline, nothing has been changed by Top Indian News in the wire.)