UN chief hails Nobel laureate European Union as an "indispensable partner"

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UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has congratulated the European Union on receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for 2012.

In a statement read by his spokesman, Martin Nesirky, the Secretary-General called the EU "an indispensable partner to the UN," which has been given "a richly-deserved recognition of its accomplishments and its importance in Europe and around the world."

"The European Union has more than lived up to its founding dream of forging a united and peaceful continent out of the devastation of two world wars. It has become an engine of integration, weaving together nations and cultures."

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The EU's unifying potential, said the Secretary-General, is all the more important in today's economic climate.

The United Nations, he added, counts on the European Union's involvement, leadership and contributions every day.