Donald Trump has been nominated for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize following his efforts to broker a deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The US president’s name has been put forward by Norwegian politician Christian Tybring-Gjedde, according to Fox News.
“For his merit, I think he has done more trying to create peace between nations than most other Peace Prize nominees,” Mr Tybring-Gjedde, a four-term member of parliament, told the channel.
On Tuesday, a White House official announced Mr Trump will hold a signing ceremony on 15 September for a groundbreaking Middle East agreement normalising relations between Israel and the UAE.
As part of the deal, announced at the White House on 13 August following what officials said were 18 months of talks, the Gulf state agreed to normal relations with Israel, while Israel agreed to continue with plans to suspend its annexation of the West Bank.
In 2020, there were 318 candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Submissions must be made online and all nominees are discussed before a shortlist of the most worthy and interesting is drawn up.
Mr Tybring-Gjedde’s letter to the Nobel Committee praised the US president’s role in improving relations between the Middle Eastern nations.
He wrote: “As it is expected other Middle Eastern countries will follow in the footsteps of the UAE, this agreement could be a game changer that will turn the Middle East into a region of cooperation and prosperity.”
This is not the first time Mr Trump has been nominated for the prize.
In 2018, Mr Tybring-Gjedde submitted his name following his Singapore summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The US president did not win.
The Norwegian told Fox News he is “not a big supporter of Trump” but added that other people have won the prize for doing much less.
There was criticism in 2009 when President Barack Obama won the prize just nine months into his first term.
