Politics
The Prime Minister received an award to mark the establishment of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan hosted Muhammad Abdelsalam, Secretary General of the Zayed Human Brotherhood Award, member of the award committee, former President of the European Council and former Prime Minister of Belgium Charles Michel, member of the Award Committee, former President of the African Union Commission and former Prime Minister of Chad Moussa Faki Mahamat.
Muhammad Abdelsalam thanked for the warm reception and noted that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was recognized as the winner of the 2026 "Zayed" human brotherhood award in recognition of his consistent promotion of the agenda to establish peace, cooperation, and stability in the region between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan. The President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, was also awarded the same award, which emphasizes joint efforts to promote peace. Muhammad Abdelsalam noted that what Prime Minister Pashinyan is doing to implement this agreement is an example for many conflicts worldwide. "This marking shows the importance of the agreement itself as a positive step towards peace, reconciliation, and regional stability. The Zayed Prize marks this initiative to encourage and inspire world leaders to strive for lasting peace. We are sure that what you are doing comes from the heart, for the sake of peace, for your people and the whole world," said Muhammad Abdelsalam, adding that this year there were 350 people from more than 90 countries among the nominees for the award.
Prime Minister Pashinyan thanked the members of the award committee for their appreciation and noted that it would be a great honor for him to receive the "Zayed" award. The head of the country expressed his gratitude for the evaluation of the efforts to establish peace in the region. "Of course, it is the result of the work done by many people in Armenia, and naturally outside of Armenia. Of course, I know that the president of Azerbaijan was also awarded, and we share this award. It is justified. It is truly a joint achievement. Many people worked and are still working to establish peace: in the USA, the EU, on various international platforms, and in Azerbaijan. And of course, first of all, it is the achievement of our political team, the Government, the Parliament, the society, because you know, the implementation of any agreement would be impossible without the support of the society, the people", said the Prime Minister, adding that the Armenian people played the most critical role in this whole process. Nikol Pashinyan once again thanked the guests and noted that they make a significant contribution to the peace process and to its institutionalization.
During the meeting, the prime minister was invited to participate in the "Zayed" award ceremony, to be held in Abu Dhabi on February 4.
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Named after the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder of the United Arab Emirates, the award recognizes individuals and organizations, regardless of their origin or location, who work selflessly and tirelessly to advance human brotherhood and achieve significant progress for peaceful coexistence.
Since the award's establishment in 2019, it has recognized 16 laureates from 15 countries. The creation of the prize follows the historic meeting in Abu Dhabi between the late His Holiness Pope Francis, the 266th leader of the Roman Catholic Church, and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, His Excellency Ahmed Al-Tayeb, during which they jointly signed the Document on Human Brotherhood.
Previous award recipients include the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the late Pope Francis, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, anti-extremism activist Latifa Ibn Ziaten, Their Majesties King Abdullah II and Queen Rania Al Abdallah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Knowledge and Freedom Foundation of Haiti, Sant'Egidio community, Kenyan peacemaker Shamsa Abubakar Fadil, Indonesian charities Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyya, world-renowned cardiologist Professor Sir Magdi Yakub, Chilean public figure Sister Nellie Leon Correa, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Motley, food aid organization World Central Kitchen and young scientist Hema Bekele.
