MURMANSK, October 15 (RIA Novosti) - The Nobel Committee deserve a special prize for surprising the world with their decision to award the Nobel Peace prize to U.S. President Barack Obama, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said on Thursday.

Obama was awarded the prize last week for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples."

Speaking in the northern Russian port city of Murmansk, Carl Bildt said he congratulated Obama on the award, although nobody in Sweden had expected such a decision.

"We congratulate Obama on winning the Nobel Peace Prize. It was a real surprise for us. If it was possible to award a prize for surprises, the Norwegian [Nobel] committee would have got it," he said.

Since taking office, Obama has promoted the idea of a nuclear-free world, entering into talks with Russia on a new nuclear disarmament treaty and pushing the concept last month when he became the first U.S. president to chair a session of the UN Security Council.

However, given U.S. involvement in wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as cross-border drone attacks on targets in Pakistan that have resulted in numerous civilian deaths, the choice has proved a controversial one.