Pashinyan Says Peace Is the Greatest Respect for the Victims as He Accepts Award With Aliyev

During the 2026 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity ceremony in Abu Dhabi on February 4, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev spoke about the current state of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, saying:

“Armenia and Azerbaijan were in a state of war for more than thirty years. Now we have been living in peace for six months. We are learning how to live in peaceful conditions. I can say that this is a special feeling. We are now increasing our trade turnover with Armenia.”

Aliyev said the location of the ceremony was symbolic, recalling that Abu Dhabi had hosted key negotiations between the two countries before a major summit in Washington last year.

“Here in Abu Dhabi, with the support of our brother Sheikh Mohammed, we reached the final agreement on establishing peace, and then formalized it in Washington. I would like once again to express gratitude to all those who decided to award us this respected and honorable prize, as well as to everyone who helped us reach peace.”

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also addressed the audience and said:

“Peace is the only comfort for everyone, and peace is the greatest respect for the victims.”

He thanked both societies for recognizing that the past cannot be changed and urged a focus on building a peaceful and prosperous future.

“We must focus on creating a peaceful and prosperous future for our nations. This is not an easy path, because there is great distrust, pessimism, anger, and even hatred.

During the conflict, many people died, and many grieving families are watching what is happening here. Some of them may consider this event inappropriate, but the continuation of suffering is not relief, nor is it a sign of respect for those who suffered. The continuation of killings is not relief, nor is it a sign of respect for those who were killed and for their relatives.”

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev were named recipients of the 2026 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity in recognition of their efforts to advance peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, promote cooperation in the region, and support long-term stability.

The award’s Secretary-General, Mohammad Abdelsalam, said the historic peace agreement reflected the goals of encouraging dialogue and coexistence. He mentioned the steady efforts of the two leaders and described the agreement as a “major diplomatic achievement” and an important step toward global peace.

The 2026 winners were selected by an independent international jury made up of well-known figures in dialogue and coexistence. Members included former European Council President and former Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel; former African Union Commission Chairperson and former Chadian Prime Minister Moussa Faki Mahamat; Prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Culture and Education Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça; UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell; Head of the Uzbek presidential administration Saida Mirziyoyeva; and Zayed Award Secretary-General Judge Mohammad Abdelsalam.

Earlier in the day, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held talks in Abu Dhabi focused on bilateral relations and future cooperation. The meeting brought together senior officials from both governments and took place amid continued international attention on efforts to stabilize the South Caucasus.

From Armenia, the expanded-format talks included Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan, Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, and National Assembly Deputy Speaker Ruben Rubinyan. Azerbaijan was represented by Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, presidential adviser Hikmet Hajiyev, and special representative Elchin Amirbekov.

After the one-on-one discussion between Pashinyan and Aliyev concluded, the Armenian prime minister’s spokesperson released a video message about the meeting. The Armenian government later stated that both sides agreed to continue examining ways to expand trade and economic ties. Officials also discussed the implementation of the TRIPP initiative along with other major infrastructure projects that could affect regional connectivity.

In an official statement, the Armenian government said:

“The Prime Minister of Armenia and the President of Azerbaijan reaffirmed their readiness to continue working to further strengthen peace and stability between the two countries and agreed to maintain contacts in order to support the process of normalizing bilateral relations.”

The talks and the award ceremony in Abu Dhabi showed how diplomatic engagement between Armenia and Azerbaijan continues alongside international recognition of peace efforts. While significant challenges remain, officials on both sides signaled that dialogue, economic discussions, and high-level contacts are expected to continue in the months ahead.

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