Tributes continue to former US President Jimmy Carter

Taoiseach Simon Harris has paid tribute to former US President Jimmy Carter, who has died at the age of 100.

The Carter Center confirmed that Mr Carter passed away yesterday afternoon in Plains, Georgia.

In a statement, Mr Harris said "It is with the utmost sadness that I have learned of the death of former US President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter.

"As 39th President of the United States, Jimmy Carter served in his nation's highest office with distinction and decency before forging an enduring legacy as a global statesman and human rights pioneer," he added.

"At 100 years old, President Carter did some of his most impactful work after he left the Oval Office in a retirement that lasted more than four decades.

"His work in the Middle East remains of global significance and is a reminder of the moral obligation on the world leaders of today as a humanitarian catastrophe on an unprecedented scale unfolds there now," Mr Harris said.

"Jimmy Carter's legacy is a reminder of what diplomacy can achieve, the peace deal he helped to forge between Israel and Egypt stands to this day.

"He was a keen supporter of peace in Ireland and a respected voice on the road to the Good Friday Agreement," he added.

"The world has lost a great humanitarian, the United States has lost a great President, and a family has lost a wonderful decent man."

President Michael D Higgins also paid tribute, saying Mr Carter will be remembered by those who knew him as a "thoroughly decent man of great integrity", who will leave a "rich legacy of public service".

He said "The values that a global public have come to associate with former President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, for younger generations in particular, will have been through their awareness, and admiration, of the work of the Carter Center."

Carter a 'humanitarian to the end' - Martin

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said he was "deeply saddened" at Mr Carter's passing.

He said: "President Carter truly lived a life less ordinary, with a deep commitment to peace in the Middle East, human and civil rights, housing, and ending the arms race between the US and the Soviet Union.

"The personification of public service, his work extended to our own island, as he took the first decisive steps to proactive and transformational US engagement on Northern Ireland. This commitment to peace in Ireland endures today."

"A humanitarian to the end, my condolences go to President Carter's family, friends and the American people," Mr Martin added.

Jimmy Carter's life 'a testament to the power of service’ - Harris

Outgoing US Vice President Kamala Harris expressed her admiration for Mr Carter, saying "President Jimmy Carter was guided by a deep and abiding faith - in God, in America, and in humanity.

"Jimmy Carter’s life is a testament to the power of service - as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy, the 76th Governor of Georgia, and the 39th President of the United States. He reminded our nation and the world that there is strength in decency and compassion," she added.

US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden said the US and world had "lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian".

They said "Over six decades, we had the honor of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend. But, what's extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people throughout America and the world who never met him thought of him as a dear friend as well."

US President-elect Donald Trump said that "we all owe him 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.

The UK's King Charles and Prime Minister Keir Starmer have also paid tribute to Jimmy Carter following the former US president's death yesterday aged 100.

In a message to the American people, King Charles expressed "great sadness" at the news of Mr Carter's death, describing him as "a committed public servant" who "devoted his life to promoting peace and human rights".

Keir Starmer said Mr Carter had "lived his values in the service of others to the very end" through "decades of selfless public service".

Touching on Mr Carter’s work in bringing stability to the Middle East with the 1978 Camp David accords, Egypt’s president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said "In this moment of sorrow, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the family of former American President Jimmy Carter, as well as to the President and the people of the United States of America.

"His significant role in achieving the peace agreement between Egypt and Israel will remain etched in the annals of history, and his humanitarian work exemplifies a lofty standard of love, peace, and brotherhood. His enduring legacy ensures that he will be remembered as one of the world's most prominent leaders in service to humanity," he added.