2009 Nobel Peace Prize of race, religion, skin colour, he has an open attitude." Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, Indian President Pratibha Patil and Israeli President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shimon Peres sent congratulatory messages to Obama, but Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told reporters that "the decision was taken hastily and the award was [too] early." In Latin America, former Cuban President Fidel Castro called the award "positive" and said the prize should be seen as a criticism to the "genocidal policy" carried out by past U.S. presidents. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolás Maduro said the award was a surprise and perhaps premature.
2008 Nobel Peace Prize 2008 Nobel Peace Prize The 2008 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to President of Finland (1994–2000) Martti Ahtisaari "for his important efforts, on several continents and over more than three decades, to resolve international conflicts". The 2008 Nobel Peace Prize laureate was announced on the press conference in Oslo, Norway on October 10, 2008. The committee's decision was heavily criticized in Serbia, because of Ahtisaari's role in the Kosovo status process (the Government of Serbia rejects Ahtisaari's plan because it would allegedly guarantee the "de facto" independence of Kosovo). On the other hand, committee's decision was praised by Albanians living