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OSLO, Oct 13 (Reuters) Bangladesh's Grameen Bank and its founder Muhammad Yunus shared the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize today for lending to the poorest of the poor in a grassroots drive to end world poverty.

''Across cultures and civilisations, Yunus and Grameen Bank have shown that even the poorest of the poor can work to bring about their own development,'' the secretive five-member committee said in announcing the award.

''Lasting peace cannot be achieved unless large population groups find ways in which to break out of poverty,'' it said, adding Yunus's goal was to end poverty in the world.

The two were surprise winners of the 10 million Swedish crown award from a field of 191 candidates. The prize will be handed out in Oslo on December 10.

''This is fantastic, unbelievable. Thank you,'' Yunus told Norway's NRK television after the prize announcement.

Grameen Bank makes small loans to farmers, fishermen, artisans and other poor people without demanding collateral.

The UN has a goal of halving the proportion of the world's population, about one billion people, living in the deepest poverty by 2015.