A beaming U.S. President, Barack Obama, says he is honoured to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize but says he is not sure he has done enough to earn it.
Appearing in the White House Rose Garden on Friday, Obama acknowledged he was “both surprised and deeply humbled” to win the award.
He said he does not “view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments,” but rather as a recognition of goals he has set for the United States and the world. Obama said, “I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many transformative figures that have been honoured by this prize.
DPA reports:
U.S. President, Barack Obama, accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, saying he was “deeply humbled” by the honour he views as a “call to action.” “I am both surprised and deeply humbled by the decision of the Nobel Committee,” Obama said.
The Nobel Committee announced in Oslo earlier Friday that Mr. Obama was the recipient of one of the world’s most prestigious awards. In accepting the prize, Obama said it was a call for all nations to confront world challenges.
“I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations,” Mr. Obama said.
“I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who’ve been honored by this prize, men and women who’ve inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace,” he added.