Finnish Nobel Peace laureate and former president Ahtisaari dies at 86

Finland's former president Martti Ahtisaari attends the 2009 World Leaders Forum at Columbia University in New York September 21, 2009. REUTERS/Eric Thayer (UNITED STATES POLITICS)

HELSINKI (Reuters) -Nobel Peace laureate Martti Ahtisaari, who served as Finland's 10th president between 1994 and 2000, died on Monday at the age of 86, the Finnish president's office said in a statement.

Ahtisaari was celebrated around the world for brokering peace in conflict zones in Kosovo, Indonesia and Northern Ireland. He refused to accept that wars and conflicts were inevitable.