ABU DHABI, 8th February, 2026 (WAM) --Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic, sent a written message to the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, in which he commended the award’s judging committee for selecting the historic peace agreement between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia as an honoree for the 2026 edition.
In remarks delivered on his behalf by H.E. Lorenzo Fanara, Ambassador of the Italian Republic to the United Arab Emirates, the Italian President affirmed the decision made by the judging committee of the prestigious award in granting the honor to the historic peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, reaffirming Italy’s “concrete and active support” for the peace process between the two countries.
President Mattarella added that the “perseverance and the political commitment of both Authorities we honor today have made it possible to lay the foundation for a new era in the relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia after decades of bitter and sometimes bloody confrontation.” He expressed appreciation for the role of the international community in supporting the peace process, noting that the trilateral summit held in August at the White House represented the latest manifestation of such support and contributed to achieving “historic steps forward.”
He further emphasized that the “determination and far-sighted vision” demonstrated by H.E. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and H.E. Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, in their pursuit of peace and reconciliation—not only between the two states but also between their respective populations - will help make relations “more serene,” describing this path as “not easy but fundamental after decades of suffering.”
President Mattarella noted that honoring the peace agreement through the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity “bears additional testimony to the decisive contribution both have made to the future signature of the peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia.” He expressed hope that this would serve as “a prelude… to numerous concrete benefits for these Countries and the entire southern Caucasus,” adding that Italy—“ which always works to make harmony, stability and development in the region”—continues to offer its “concrete and active support” toward this objective.
For his part, Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary-General of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, expressed the Award Secretariat’s appreciation to President Sergio Mattarella for his steadfast commitment to the values of peace, dialogue, and human dignity, and commended Italy’s continued support for the award and for initiatives that promote human fraternity at both regional and global levels.
The Zayed Award for Human Fraternity held an official ceremony honoring the 2026 honorees, attended by H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, at the Founders’ Memorial in Abu Dhabi. The ceremony honored the historic peace agreement between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia, alongside advocate for girls’ education in Afghanistan Zarqa Yaftali, and the Palestinian organization Taawon.