The 2008 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize said yesterday he believed the Nobel committee had awarded the 2009 prize to US President Barack Obama to "encourage" his Middle East peace efforts.

Portner Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari told CNN:

We do not yet have a peace in the Middle .East... this time it was very clear that they wanted to encourage Obama to move on these issues...

" This is a clear encourage- ment to do something on this issue. I wish him good luck "

Obama won the prize despite taking office less than a year ago.

The jury hailed his ”ex-traordinary" diplomatic efforts on the international stage.

Obama was honoured "lor his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples," the head of the Norwegian Nobel C o tn m i 11 e e r h o r b j o e r n Jagland said

Ihe committee attached "special importance to Obama's vision and work for a world without nuclear weapons" and said he had created "a new climate in interna tional politics."

"Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future," it said.

last month the Middle Last diplomatic Quartet hailed as an "important step" Obama's three-way talks with Israeli

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas

TheObarnti administration has demanded a complete freeze to lewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, land the Palestinians want to turn into a future state. But Israel has so far baulked.

I he I IS leader has told the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to stop stalling and open talks on a comprehensive deal to end .in "endless cycle" of conflict and suffering.