On February 4, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan participated in the 2026 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity ceremony in Abu Dhabi, where he and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev were both honored with the award, according to 1lurer.am .
In his speech, Pashinyan thanked both peoples “for recognizing that the past cannot be changed and lies beyond our control, so we should not focus on what we cannot alter.”
“We must instead focus on building a peaceful and prosperous future for our nations. This path is not easy. There is deep mistrust, pessimism, anger, even hatred.
Many lost their lives during the conflict, and mourning families are watching this event. Some may find it inappropriate, but continuing suffering is neither a relief nor a sign of respect for the victims. Continuing killings bring neither comfort nor honor to those who died or their families.
Peace is the only true consolation for all; it is the greatest respect we can show to the victims,” said Pashinyan, also expressing gratitude to U.S. President Donald Trump, whose personal involvement and dedication to the ideal of peace, he said, were key factors in reaching the peace agreement.
He emphasized that for nearly four decades, it was seen as unrealistic to mention “peace,” “Armenia,” and “Azerbaijan” together but recent developments proved the unimaginable is possible.
“This ceremony is not just about celebrating the peace agreement; it’s a joint affirmation by Armenia and Azerbaijan that the conflict chapter is closed. Otherwise, it would make no sense for either the Azerbaijani president or myself to be here and receive this honor.
It also reflects international support, since the decision was made by a jury committee composed of highly respected members from around the world,” he said.
Pashinyan noted that the award is not just for state leaders, but for both peoples, who, he said, share the process of establishing peace.
“Incredible things happen when there is faith, dedication, vision, and wisdom. I believe the peace agreement was signed because Armenia and Azerbaijan realized the conflict must end now; otherwise, it would never end, only bringing more suffering to both countries and peoples,” Pashinyan concluded.
On August 8, a joint declaration was signed at the White House during a trilateral meeting between Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
In Washington, Armenian FM Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani FM Jeyhun Bayramov signed a preliminary agreement on establishing peace and interstate relations between the two countries, in the presence of the three leaders.
