Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to Visit Middle East

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Deanna Congileo
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ATLANTA.....Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter will visit Lebanon and Syria next week.

He will lead a Carter Center pre-electoral assessment mission to Lebanon, where the Center is considering observing parliamentary elections scheduled for spring 2009.

"During his visit, President Carter will discuss recent developments in Lebanon and the Middle East with officials and representatives of major political blocs in parliament and civil society leaders," said Hrair Balian, director of the Carter Center's Conflict Resolution Program.

President Carter also will address students, faculty, and invited guests at the American University of Beirut on December 12. He will speak on "30 years after Camp David: A memo to the Arab World, Israel and the Quartet ".

Following the visit to Lebanon, President Carter will travel to Damascus, Syria, to meet with President Bashar al-Assad and other officials to discuss the prospects for peace in the Middle East.

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"Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope."

A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in more than 70 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; improving mental health care; and teaching farmers in developing nations to increase crop production. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide. Please visit www.cartercenter.org to learn more about The Carter Center.