The former United States President, Jimmy Carter, has said he is grateful and honoured to be the recipient of this year's Nobel Peace Prize.
Mr Carter, who has been nominated for the prize several times before, won it for his work in promoting peace and human rights around the world.
In its citation, the Norwegian Nobel Committee praised the former president for decades of searching for peaceful solutions to international conflicts.
The committee's chairman also said the award could be interpreted as a criticism of current American policy on military action against Iraq.
In a television interview, Mr Carter paid tribute to the work of the Carter Centre, which he established in his home state of Georgia, to support human rights and to resolve conflicts.
