The 2008 Nobel Peace Prize has gone to the former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari.
Ahtisaari has for some years now been among the ante-post favourites for the honour.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee decided to reward him this year "for his important efforts, on several continents and over more than three decades, to resolve international conflicts. These efforts have contributed to a more peaceful world and to 'fraternity between nations' in Alfred Nobel’s spirit."
Ahtisaari's recent accomplishments as an outstanding international mediator include successfully leading peace talks between the Free Aceh Movement and the Indonesian government through his non-governmental organization Crisis Management Initiative (CMI).
He was also the UN's Special Envoy for Kosovo, conducting the difficult negotiations on the final status of Kosovo.
Prior to his term as Finland's President (1994-2000), during a long diplomatic career the 71-year-old Ahtisaari was responsible in great part for overseeing the peaceful passage to independence of Namibia at the end of the 1980s.
Ahtisaari is currently in Helsinki and will be arranging a press conference later this afternoon.
This is the first time the Peace Prize comes to Finland.
The award carries with it a cash prize of USD 1.5 million, or roughly 1.1 million euros.
Ahtisaari will formally receive the award in Oslo on December 10th, the anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel.
We wholeheartedly congratulate former President Ahtisaari on this prestigious recognition of his life's work.
Note: The second picture above can be clicked on for a 30-image cavalcade of Martti Ahtisaari's career.
