Pashinyan and Aliyev receive the Zayed Prize for Peace Efforts: why it matters
Pashinyan and Aliyev awarded the Zayed Prize
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev have been awarded the 2026 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity. The prize was granted to both leaders “in recognition of their consistent efforts to promote peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, foster cooperation, and ensure stability in the region.”
Armenian media report that the award also includes a substantial cash prize.
The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan will each receive $1 million.
It became known in January that Pashinyan and Aliyev had been named laureates of the prize, but the award ceremony took place in Abu Dhabi on February 4. The awards were presented by the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan took to the stage together to thank the organizers for the award. The Azerbaijani president even joked, “We need to agree on who will speak first.” The Armenian prime minister responded with a gesture, inviting him to go first.
Ilham Aliyev called it symbolic that the award ceremony was held in Abu Dhabi. He recalled that the Washington agreements reached on August 8, 2025, had been preceded by his meeting with Pashinyan in the UAE. According to the Azerbaijani president, it was in Abu Dhabi that they “finally reached an agreement” on establishing peace, while the United States later provided official confirmation of those intentions.
The Armenian prime minister подчеркнул that although the award is presented to the leaders of the two countries, it represents an achievement of both peoples — Armenian and Azerbaijani.
“The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan have taken courageous steps. But it is the willingness of our peoples to choose a new future that makes this historic moment possible. This award is equally important for every Armenian and every Azerbaijani who had the courage to hope for peace,” Nikol Pashinyan said.
Both laureates expressed their gratitude to the president of the UAE. They also thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for his contribution to the peace process. The Armenian prime minister said he hopes that one day he will attend a ceremony at which Trump is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, stressing: “That is what he deserves.”
Details about the award, the key points from the speeches by Pashinyan and Aliyev, and information about their bilateral meeting follow.
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About the Zayed Award
The Zayed Award is named after the founder of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. It has been awarded since 2019.
The award was established following a meeting in Abu Dhabi between the late Pope Francis, the 266th head of the Roman Catholic Church, and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, His Eminence Ahmed El-Tayeb. During that meeting, they signed the Document on Human Fraternity.
This year, in addition to Pashinyan and Aliyev, the Zayed Award was presented to Zarqa Yaftali, an advocate for the right of women and girls to education in Afghanistan, and to the Palestinian humanitarian organization Taawon.
Since its establishment, the award has been given to 16 laureates from 15 countries. It honors individuals and organizations that have “worked selflessly and tirelessly for human fraternity and achieved significant progress in advancing peaceful coexistence.”
Pashinyan: “The page of conflict is closed”
“We agreed to make peace because Armenia and Azerbaijan realized that the conflict must end now — otherwise it would never end and would continue to bring new suffering to both countries and peoples,” the Armenian prime minister said.
Pashinyan described the outcome as “incredible,” but possible due to faith, commitment to peace, and wisdom on both sides.
“This ceremony is not only about celebrating a peace agreement, but also about Armenia and Azerbaijan confirming the fact that the page of conflict is closed. Otherwise, it would make no sense for the president of Azerbaijan or for me to come here and receive this award,” he said.
He also stated that the Zayed Award symbolizes support for peace from both the Muslim and Christian worlds and that it will help strengthen peace in the region.
On January 20, 2025, the Armenian prime minister hosted the Secretary General of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, Mohamed Abdel Salam, in Yerevan. “I know that the president of Azerbaijan is also a laureate and that we share this award. That is fair. It is truly a joint achievement,” Pashinyan said.
Aliyev: “We are moving toward lasting peace”
The president of Azerbaijan emphasized that after more than 30 years of war, the two countries have been living in peace for the past six months.
“We are learning how to live in peace. I can say this is a special feeling. We have never lived in peace since gaining independence,” he said.
According to Ilham Aliyev, following the historic summit in Washington, Yerevan and Baku are moving toward a “lasting peace.”
He noted that recent months have been important for the development of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, citing the lifting of restrictions on cargo transportation from Azerbaijan to Armenia and the export of oil products as examples. The Azerbaijani president stressed that trade turnover between the two countries is growing, and that during his bilateral meeting with Pashinyan they discussed further steps.
Aliyev believes the normalization process between Armenia and Azerbaijan could serve as an example for countries still in a state of war.
“Our example proves that peace is possible despite prolonged conflicts, suffering, and mutual distrust. It is possible when there is strong political will on both sides, and when the process is supported by friendly countries and the international community,” he said.
Pashinyan-Aliyev bilateral meeting: “Maintaining positive momentum”
A few hours before the award ceremony, the Armenian and Azerbaijani delegations met, after which Pashinyan and Aliyev continued discussions in a bilateral format.
According to the Armenian prime minister’s office, the leaders welcomed the progress made in implementing the agreements reached at the Washington Peace Summit. They highlighted “the importance of maintaining and developing the positive momentum” in the normalization process:
“The sides recognized that both societies are experiencing the real benefits of peace on a daily basis.”
In particular, they expressed satisfaction with the launch of bilateral trade and the ongoing export of oil products from Azerbaijan to Armenia, as well as the transit of grain and other goods from third countries to Armenia through Azerbaijani territory.
Reports indicate that Pashinyan and Aliyev agreed to continue exploring opportunities to expand bilateral trade and economic cooperation.
They also welcomed mutual visits by civil society representatives to Armenia and Azerbaijan, emphasizing the need to broaden measures to build trust between the peoples of the two countries.
“Prime Minister Pashinyan and President Aliyev discussed the implementation of TRIPP and other infrastructure projects,” the statement said, without specifying which projects were involved.
Following the meeting, it was also reported that the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan “confirmed their readiness to continue working to further strengthen peace and stability between the two countries.”
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