Croatian President Stjepan Mesic has congratulated US President Barack Obama on winning the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, Mesic's office said in a press release. "I was glad to hear that you won the Nobel Peace Prize for your outstanding efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. On behalf of the citizens of the Republic of Croatia and myself, I offer you the most sincere congratulations," President Mesic said in a note.
He added he was glad that the Norwegian Nobel Committee had "recognised the significance and far-reaching effects of the initiatives you are undertaking on the foreign policy front, particularly the historic significance of the concept to create a world without nuclear arms that you put forward in Prague". President Mesic reaffirmed Croatia's and his support for all of Obama's efforts "so that a world of confrontations and local crises could be transformed into a world of dialogue and agreement, without giving up on responding to those who are objectively the biggest threat to that concept even with extremely energetic measures".
President Mesic underlined that he wished Obama a lot of success in his work in the interest of the US, "but also in the interest of peace, security and stability in the world". President Obama won this year's Nobel Peace Prize for his initiatives to reduce nuclear arms and for his work for world peace, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said today. Since coming into office in January, President Obama has been calling for disarmament and working on the re-launching of the Middle East peace process, the committee said. President Obama will receive the 10 million Swedish krona award in Oslo on December 10.