Following their meeting carter told reporters that he hopes to return to Lebanon and added : "This trip was a unique opportunity for me to meet so many key leaders from different political directions . My meeting with PM Siniora was excellent and I am very grateful to him for the services he provided to his country ... Lebanon
He added : "I look forward to see the establishment of close diplomatic relations between Lebanon and Syria, which will be a step forward for peace in the region . The day after tomorrow ( Saturday) I will visit Damascus to meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in order to encourage him to speed up this process."
He expressed his belief that Israel's withdrawal in the near future from the Shebaa Farms area and the village of Ghajar would bring peace to the region as a whole.
Siniora hosted a dinner in honor of President Carter and his accompanying delegation in the presence of a number of Lebanese political leaders and ministers.
Hezbollah refused to meet Carter
Hezbollah refused to meet visiting former US President Jimmy Carter to discuss legislative elections set for the spring, Carter's spokesman said on Wednesday.
“We have sought meetings with all the main parliamentary blocs and parties in the upcoming election and Hezbollah was one of those meetings we had requested,” Rick Jafculca told AFP. Hezbollah declined the request," he added without providing further detail.
DPA on Wednesday also reported that Carter had requested the meeting as part of a visit to Lebanon, where Carter Wednesday met with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, to assess whether his Carter Centre will monitor a legislative election next year.
Hezbollah officials would not comment on Carter's request for a meeting.
"Hezbollah does not meet with anyone from a US administration which supports Zionist terrorism," said Mohammad Raad, head of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc, he told AFP, adding that his group is not opposed to election monitors being sent to Lebanon to oversee the parliamentary vote.
"We are not concerned with election monitoring, we don't reject it," Raad told AFP. "We will accept whatever decision the cabinet takes."
Former US president Jimmy carter and his delegation meeting with prime minister Fouad Siniora and some members of the cabinet Thursday Dec 11, 2008