Oslo: The 2002 Nobel Peace Prize to former US President Jimmy Carter for his efforts to resolve conflicts is also a "criticism of the position" of the current US administration, the Nobel committee said on October 11.

Honouring Carter "can also be interpreted as a criticism of the position" of the administration of President George W Bush, the chairman of the Nobel committee, Gunnar Berge, told reporters

Meanwhile in Washington, Carter said that he was "grateful and honoured" for winning the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, in an interview with CNN early on October 11.

"The work of the Carter Centre has been a wonderful contribution to the world for the last 20 years," Carter, 78, told the news network.

"I don't think there's any doubt that the Nobel Prize itself encourages people to think about peace and Human Rights, so I'm very grateful and honoured by this," he said.