The award ceremony for the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity has been held in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Operative Information Center-OMM reports that President Ilham Aliyev participated in the event and was presented with the prestigious award.
The ceremony commenced with the performance of the national anthem of the United Arab Emirates, followed by a video presentation detailing the significance of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity. Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders, delivered an opening address. During the event, video messages of congratulations to the laureates were screened from various world leaders, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan, and King Abdullah II of Jordan. President Ilham Aliyev addressed the participants, followed by speeches from Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Afghan women's rights activist Zarqa Yaftali, and Nabil Qaddumi on behalf of the Palestinian organization Taawon. The awards were presented to the laureates by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The Zayed Award for Human Fraternity is an independent global award that recognizes individuals and entities for their profound contributions to human progress and peaceful coexistence. Established in 2019 following the historic meeting between Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the award is named in honor of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder of the UAE. The recognition of President Ilham Aliyev underscores Azerbaijan's ongoing commitment to multiculturalism, interfaith dialogue, and the promotion of tolerance on the international stage.