Northern Ireland's First Minister, David Trimble, and SDLP leader, John Hume, were presented with the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize at a ceremony in the Norwegian capital, Oslo this lunchtime.
The presentation was made by chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Francis Sejersted, who told the new laureates there were still problems to be faced in the peace process. But, he said, there could be no turning back in spite of the setbacks.
The chairman told the two men they were foremost among the many who had placed themselves at the service of peace in and outside Northern Ireland.
In his speech of acceptance, David Trimble again called for a start to be made on the decommissioning of IRA weapons as a way of breaking the deadlock in the peace process.
John Hume pleaded for the communities in Northern Ireland to build on the Good Friday Agreement and create an era of harmony, he described the award as international recognition of the humanity and compassion of the people of the North.
The Northern Secretary Mo Mowlam has said she hoped today's award will help push the stalled Northern peace process forward.
A spokesman for Tony Blair said that the British Prime Minister was pleased for the recipients, but he added that it was important people realised that the Good Friday Agreement had not yet been delivered.
He said Tony Blair would be discussing the Northern Ireland peace process with the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern at the EU summit in Vienna which formally opens tomorrow.
The Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams has said he wishes David Trimble well and hopes he lives up to the Nobel peace prize. Speaking in the United States he said John Hume richly deserved the honour but that David Trimble had to live up to it.
