DW-World.de
Deutsche Welle

Former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his decades-long record of peace mediation work. The Nobel Committee made the announcement in the Norwegian capital, Oslo. The 71-year-old Ahtisaari has been involved in numerous missions aimed at solving international conflicts, ranging from Northern Ireland to the Indonesian province of Aceh as well as the Serbian province of Kosovo. Ahtisaari told reporters in Helsinki that this was the highest possible recognition in his area of work and that it was very rewarding to be in the same category as people like South Africa's Nelson Mandela. Ahtisaari was chosen from a field of almost 200 candidates. He is to receive the award at a ceremony in Oslo in early December.