▁Rafael ▁Vid ela ▁of ▁Argentina , ▁all ▁of ▁whom ▁he ▁critic ized ▁for ▁human ▁rights ▁viol ations . ▁He ▁negoti ated ▁the ▁Tor rij os – C arter ▁Tre aties , ▁which ▁provided ▁for ▁the ▁return ▁of ▁the ▁Pan ama ▁Canal ▁to ▁Pan ama ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁In ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁end ▁the ▁Arab – Is ra eli ▁conflict , ▁he ▁helped ▁ar range ▁the ▁Camp ▁David ▁Acc ords ▁between ▁Israel ▁and ▁Egypt . ▁He ▁also ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁U . S . ▁president ▁to ▁visit ▁Sub - S ah aran ▁Africa , ▁a ▁reflection ▁of ▁the ▁region ' s ▁new ▁importance ▁under ▁the ▁Carter ▁administration . ▁ ▁T aking ▁office ▁during ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁relatively ▁warm ▁relations ▁with ▁both ▁China ▁and ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union , ▁Carter ▁initially ▁continued ▁the ▁conc ili atory ▁policies ▁of ▁his ▁prede cess ors . ▁He ▁normal ized ▁relations ▁with ▁China ▁and ▁rev oked ▁a ▁defense ▁treat y ▁with ▁Taiwan . ▁He ▁also ▁continued ▁the ▁Str ateg ic ▁Ar ms ▁Lim itation ▁Tal ks ▁with ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union , ▁though ▁he ▁continued ▁to ▁critic ize ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁for ▁its ▁human ▁rights ▁policies . ▁After ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet – A fg han ▁War , ▁he ▁disc arded ▁his ▁conc ili atory ▁policies ▁towards ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union , ▁began ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁military ▁build - up , ▁started ▁a ▁gra in ▁embargo , ▁and ▁provided ▁aid ▁to ▁mu j ah ide en ▁reb els ▁in ▁Afghan istan . ▁The ▁final ▁fifteen ▁months ▁of