SIPRI welcomes announcement of Obama's Nobel Peace Prize

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Director, Dr. Bates Gill has issued a statement in response to Friday's news that US President Obama won the Nobel Peace prize.

'SIPRI applauds the decision by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. This decision signals the Committee's high expectations that President Obama can work to usher in a more hopeful era in global affairs and make progress in addressing many challenges which face mankind through his commitment to achieving nuclear disarmament and bringing greater stability and peace to war-torn parts of the world." said the statement.

"We supported President Obama's strong calls for a world free of nuclear weapons, his efforts in leading the UN Security Council to a unanimous resolution in support of non-proliferation and a nuclear-free world, and his renewed work to achieve peace in the Middle East and seek dialogue with such countries as Iran, North Korea and Myanmar," added the statement.

According to SIPRI's statistics, the US is still the world's largest arms producer and seller, having the largest military spending and nuclear capacity in the world.

Analysts hold that it is reasonable that the US should lead the world in disarmament and reduction and destruction of nuclear weapons if one hopes to achieve a nuclear free world and bring peace and stability to the world.

Xuefei Chen, People's Daily Online, Stockholm.