BEIRUT, Lebanon - Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter urged Lebanon and Israel on Wednesday to work toward peace, saying the deployment of U.N. peacekeepers near the two countries' volatile border has helped establish a new sense of security there.

Carter spoke during a visit to the headquarters of the U.N. force - known as UNIFIL - in the Lebanese border town of Naqoura. He also met the force's commander, Maj. Gen. Claudio Graziano, and took a helicopter tour of the area.

The 13,300-strong U.N. force was deployed after the 2006 summer war between the Jewish state and Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group. The 34-day fighting killed more than 1,200 people in Lebanon, most of them civilians, and 159 people in Israel.

"UNIFIL's presence creates a window of opportunity to enhance political and diplomatic efforts to achieve a permanent ceasefire and long-term solution to the conflict," carter was quoted as saying by a statement released by the UNIFIL.

"I strongly urge all parties to seize this opportunity to work toward peace," added Carter.

Carter is on a five-day visit to Lebanon to assess whether his Atlanta-based Carter Center will monitor parliament elections next year. The visit began Tuesday and Carter will also visit Syria later this week to meet President Bashar Assad.

Lebanese Interior Minister Ziad Baroud said Carter has not yet asked the Lebanese government to monitor the elections. The vote, expected in May or June, will be fiercely contested between Western-backed anti-Syrian groups that hold majority seats in the current 128-member parliament and a Hezbollah-led coalition backed by Syria and Iran.

Earlier Wednesday, Carter met Lebanese President Michel Suleiman and said he hopes Lebanon will hold a successful and peaceful vote.

It's unclear whether Carter will meet any Hezbollah officials while in Lebanon and the militant group has not said anything on the matter. Carter said Tuesday he is ready to meet with Hezbollah officials if the group agreed to it. -AP