Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary-General of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity; Charles Michel, former President of the European Council and former Prime Minister of Belgium; and Moussa Faki Mahamat, former Chairperson of the African Union Commission and former Prime Minister of Chad, who are members of the Judging Committee of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity.
PM Pashinyan has been named the honoree of the 2026 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity.
According to a readout issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Mohamed Abdelsalam expressed gratitude for the warm reception and noted that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has been named the 2026 recipient of the Zayed Human Fraternity Award in recognition of his consistent efforts to establish peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan and to advance the agenda of regional cooperation and stability. President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan has also been named an honoree of the 2026 Award, highlighting the joint efforts to promote peace. Mohamed Abdelsalam emphasized that Prime Minister Pashinyan’s work to implement this agreement serves as an example for resolving conflicts worldwide.
“This recognition highlights the importance of the agreement as a positive step toward peace, reconciliation, and regional stability. The Zayed Award celebrates this initiative to encourage and inspire world leaders to pursue lasting peace. We are confident that your efforts come from the heart—for the sake of peace, your people, and the entire world,” said Mohamed Abdelsalam, adding that this year, there were 350 candidates for the award from more than 90 countries.
Prime Minister Pashinyan expressed his gratitude to the members of the award committee for their recognition, noting that it is a great honor for him to receive the Zayed Award. He also conveyed his appreciation for acknowledging 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, beyond Armenia as well. I also know that the President of Azerbaijan has been awarded, and we share this prize. That is justified. It is truly a joint achievement. Many people have worked, and continue to work, toward establishing peace—in the U.S., the EU, on various international platforms, and in Azerbaijan. And, of course, first and foremost, this is the achievement of our political team: the Government, the Parliament, and society, because, as you know, implementing any agreement would have been impossible without the support of the public and the people,” said the Prime Minister, adding that the most important role throughout this entire process was played by the people of Armenia.
Nikol Pashinyan once again thanked the committee members, noting that with the award, they are making a highly significant contribution to the peace process and helping to institutionalize it.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister was also presented with an invitation to attend the Zayed Award ceremony in Abu Dhabi on February 4.
The 2026 recipients will be honored on February 4, 2026 - coinciding with UN-recognized International Day of Human Fraternity - at the annual award ceremony, to be held at the Founder’s Memorial in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, at 7 p.m. UAE time.
Inspired by the signing of the Document on Human Fraternity by the late His Holiness Pope Francis, 266th head of the Catholic Church, and His Eminence Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, in Abu Dhabi in 2019 and the humanitarian legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founder of the United Arab Emirates, the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity recognizes individuals and organizations for outstanding contributions to building a more peaceful, harmonious, and compassionate world based on the values of human fraternity.
According to organizers, since 2019, the award has honored 19 recipients from 19 countries: The late Pope Francis (honorary recipient); Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed Al-Tayeb (honorary recipient); UN Secretary-General António Guterres; French-Moroccan 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 humanitarian organization the Foundation for Knowledge and Liberty (FOKAL); Italian organization the Community of Sant’Egidio; Kenyan peacebuilder Shamsa Abubakar Fadhil; Indonesian charitable organizations Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah; Egyptian world-renowned cardiac surgeon Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub; Chilean NGO founder Sister Nelly León Correa; Prime Minister of Barbados the Honorable Mia Amor Mottley; American food relief organization World Central Kitchen; and Ethiopian-American teenage health innovator Heman Bekele.
