Losing EU hails Nobel's recognition of women peacemakers

(BRUSSELS) - Three men at the head of the European Union. collectively a losing nominee, hailed Friday the Nobel Peace Prize committee's recognition of the "pivotal role" played by women in conflict resolution.

The Nobel Prize Committee earlier awarded the 2011 Peace Prize to a trio of women peacemakers: Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberian "peace warrior" Leymah Gbowee and Yemen's Arab Spring activist Tawakkul Karman.

EU president Herman Van Rompuy, and the head of its day-to-day executive, Jose Manuel Barroso, each offered their "wholehearted congratulations" to the trio in a joint statement.

The pair said that the prize committee had shown "recognition of the pivotal role that women play in the peaceful settlement of conflicts and democratic transformation throughout the world."

They hailed the winning nominees as "a victory for a new democratic Africa and for a new democratic Arab world that live in peace and respect for human rights."

The head of the elected European Parliament, former Polish premier Jerzy Buzek, also issued his congratulations.

"There cannot be true democracy unless women's voices are fully heard," said the former Solidarity activist.

Buzek also took the opportunity in his statement to "urge China once again to release the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo from prison, and his wife from house arrest."