OSLO, Oct 12 The head of the UN Climate Panel buried a past feud with former US Vice Pres

OSLO, Oct 12 (Reuters) The head of the UN Climate Panel buried a past feud with former US Vice President Al Gore today after the panel and Gore shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.

''I feel privileged sharing it with someone as distinguished as him,'' Rajendra Pachauri, head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) told Norway's TV2 in New Delhi.

Pachauri was backed by President George W Bush when he was elected in 2002 to chair the panel, which issued reports this year warning of the risks of global warming, over objections by Gore who said he would slow down the IPCC.

Gore denounced Pachauri in an article in the New York Times in 2002 as ''the 'let's drag our feet' candidate'' to head the IPCC known for ''virulent anti-American statements'' that Gore said could undermine the IPCC's authority in the United States.

Pachauri struck back a few days later in a letter criticising what he called Gore's ''derogatory comments''.

He said Gore had made a speech in 1991 ''referring to my 'commitment', 'vision' and 'dedication''' and wrote: ''Would the real Al Gore stand up? Does what he say today hold no value tomorrow?'' Gore and the panel will collect the $1.5 million prize in Oslo on December 10.

Reuters PD GC1600