Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan hosted Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary General of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, Charles Michel, member of the Judging Committee, former President of the European Council and former Prime Minister of Belgium, and Moussa Faki Mahamat, member of the Judging Committee, former Chairperson of the African Union Commission and former Prime Minister of Chad.

Mohamed Abdelsalam thanked for the warm welcome and noted that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was recognized as the winner of the Zayed Prize for Human Fraternity 2026 in recognition of his consistent efforts to advance the agenda of establishing peace between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, cooperation and stability in the region. The same award was also awarded to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, which underscores the joint efforts to promote peace. Mohamed Abdelsalam noted that what Prime Minister Pashinyan is doing to bring to life this agreement is an example for many conflicts in the world. “This recognition shows the importance of the agreement itself as a positive step towards peace, reconciliation and regional stability. The Zayed Award marks this initiative to encourage and inspire world leaders to strive for lasting peace. We are confident that what you are doing comes from the heart, for the sake of peace, your people and the whole world,” Mohamed Abdelsalam noted, adding that this year, 350 people from more than 90 countries were among the nominees for the award.

Prime Minister Pashinyan thanked the members of the Judging Committeeof the Award for the appreciation and noted that it is a great honor for him to be awarded the Zayed Prize. The Prime Minister expressed his gratitude for the appreciation of the efforts made to establish peace in the region. “Of course, this is the result of the work of many people in Armenia, and naturally outside of Armenia. Of course, I know that the President of Azerbaijan is also awarded and we share this award. It is justified. It is truly a joint achievement. Many people were working and are still working to establish peace: in the US, in the EU, on various international platforms, in Azerbaijan. And of course, first of all, this is the achievement of our political team, the Government, the parliament, society, because you know, the implementation of any agreement would be impossible without the support of society, the people,” the Prime Minister said, adding that the people of Armenia played the most important role in this entire process. Nikol Pashinyan once again thanked the guests and noted that by this they are making an extremely important contribution to the peace process and making it more institutional.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister was presented with the invitation to participate in the Zayed Award ceremony to be held in Abu Dhabi on February 4.

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Named in honour of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founder of the UAE, the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity recognizes individuals and organisations of all backgrounds, anywhere in the world - working selflessly and tirelessly to advance human fraternity and create breakthroughs towards peaceful coexistence.

The award has so far recognised 16 recipients from 15 countries since its establishment in 2019, following the historic meeting in Abu Dhabi between the late His Holiness Pope Francis, 266th head of the Catholic Church, and His Eminence Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, during which the two religious figures co-signed the Document on Human Fraternity.

Past award recipients include Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed Al-Tayeb (honorary recipient), The late Pope Francis, 266th head of the Catholic Church (honorary recipient); UN Secretary-General António Guterres; activist against extremism Latifa Ibn Ziaten; Their Majesties King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein and Queen Rania Al Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; Haitian organization the Foundation for Knowledge and Liberty; the Community of Sant’Egidio organization; Kenyan peacebuilder Shamsa Abubakar Fadhil; Indonesian charitable organizations Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah; world-renowned cardiac surgeon Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub; Chilean NGO founder Sister Nelly Leon Correa; Prime Minister of Barbados the Honorable Mia Amor Mottley; food relief organisation World Central Kitchen; and youth health innovator Heman Bekele.