Nobel winner seeks world peace

GENEVA

Martti Ahtisaari, Finland’s former president and winner of the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize, said it’s “high time” for world leaders to solve frozen conflicts such as the dispute between Israel and the Palestinians.

“I think our real challenges are issues like the Middle East. Because if we can’t solve it - and I see no reason why we can’t - it has an effect on issues like Afghanistan, Iraq [and] Iran,” he said.

Mr. Ahtisaari, 71, who as an international envoy successfully brokered peace accords for Kosovo; Aceh between Indonesia and the rebels; and Namibia’s independence, said:

“It’s high time that an issue that is actually causing more harm, for those who should be looking for solution in [the] Middle East, and one could be referring to the United States and Europe.”

Mr. Ahtisaari is still active today on the global stage as chairman of Interpeace, an advocacy group with programs in conflict zones around the world, and as co-chairman of Europe’s Council for Foreign Relations.

“I have been urging that we should solve the frozen conflicts. It’s very sad to realize actually that the international community has tolerated frozen conflicts,” he said in an interview Thursday.

Mr. Ahtisaari has won plaudits from diplomats and international affairs specialists for his work.

“Martti is very visionary in his understanding that every conflict has a solution,” said Scott Weber, director-general of Interpeace and a former U.N. diplomat.

Asked about the lack of traction on Middle East peace despite the involvement of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair as the top envoy of the Quartet - the U.S., United Nations, Russia and European Union - on the Middle East, Mr. Ahtisaari said: “It’s a pity the present U.S. administration started fairly late in looking at the Middle East. But there was clearly an effort, already from their side.”

“I hope these efforts will now get the first priority from the new administration,” he said.

The Bush administration initially acted on the belief that President Clinton’s failed effort to broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal in the final days of his administration, had made the conflict worse. As a result, President Bush’s first term was characterized by a relatively hands-off approach to the conflict.

In the second term, however, the administration was actively engaged in peacemaking efforts and set a goal of achieving the outlines of a two-state solution to the conflict.

Mr. Ahtisaari also urged the United States to begin dealing with Hamas, a militant Islamic group that won a majority in the Palestinian parliament in 2006 elections.

Israel and the United States consider Hamas a terrorist group that seeks to destroy Israel and have refused to have contact with the organization.

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