President Sejdiu greeting Ahtisaari

Kosovo status negotiator Martti Ahtisaari was awarded Nobel peace prize for 2008 today.

Marti Ahtisaari served as president of Finland in 1994–2000 and brokered the peace process in Aceh, Indonesia. Ahtisaari led the UN-mandated status negotiations between Kosovo, Serbia and the group of G8 countries leading to the independence of Kosovo on 17 February 2008.

Ahtisaari also held key roles in Namibia, Horn of Africa, Central Asia, Northern Ireland and Iraq.

Starting in early 2006, he opened the UN Office of the Special Envoy for Kosovo (UNOSEK) in Vienna, Austria from where he conducted the Kosovo status negotiations. His proposal for internationally monitored independence for Kosovo did not win him friends in Serbia, where tabloid media often compared him to Hitler.

Ahtisaari proposal on Kosovo gives large local autonomy to Serb population and protection to Serb Orthodox churches.

Ultimately, the authorities in Belgrade did not accept his  Kosovo supervised independence plan, although Ahtisaari maintained all along that it is the most realistic solution to the Kosovo issue considering the history between the two people.

• Ahtisaari led Kosovo status proposal 

Comments (3)

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Amer said:

	... Could the timing of the announcement, immediately after the General Assembly vote, have been any sweeter?
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October 11, 2008
Votes: -1

Lumi said:

	... This shows he did the right thing with the Kosovo question!
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October 10, 2008
Votes: +0

kujtimk said:

	... Right prize for the right man. Well done.
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October 10, 2008
Votes: +4