BEIRUT, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter urged here Friday that Israel should pullout from "sovereign Lebanon" and Syria should demarcate the borders with Lebanon.

    Carter made the call in a press conference during his current regional tour. After his visit to Lebanon, he will go to Damascus on Saturday for talks with Syrian President Basar Assad, Lebanon's Naharnet website reported.

    Speaking at the press conference, Carter stressed that steps taken by both Israel and Syria would be "a major step forward to achieve peace in the region."

    He told the reporters that diplomatic ties between Lebanon and Syria should speed up, adding "I am proud of the development in relations between Lebanon and Syria."

    The former U.S. president, meanwhile, expressed hope that "peaceful, transparent and democratic" parliamentary elections would take place in Lebanon next spring, urging the Lebanese to vote and choose their leaders without external pressure.

    Carter delivered a request Thursday to Lebanese Interior Minister Ziad Baroud and offered services in monitoring the upcoming elections in spring 2009.

    Prime Minister Fouad Seniora received the request as well and will present it to the cabinet for approval.

    The Carter Center has monitored elections in over 70 countries around the world.