Pashinyan to receive Hessian Peace Prize

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is being awarded the Hessian Peace Prize for his efforts to promote peace in the South Caucasus, the Landtag of Hesse, the unicameral parliament of the German state of Hesse, has announced.

The award recognizes Pashinyan’s continued efforts to establish democratic institutions in Armenia and bring the country closer to the European Union. As one of the leaders of the 2018 Velvet Revolution, Pashinyan paved the way for parliamentary elections and has since, as prime minister, led the country toward peace and closer ties with Europe, the announcement reads.

At the same time, with the support of the United States, he succeeded in adopting a peace declaration with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in August 2025. He also secured the initialing of the “Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and Inter-State Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan.”

The award ceremony will take place on September 18 in Wiesbaden.

Hessian Landtag President Astrid Wallmann, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Hessian Peace Prize, said the award highlights a country that has been undergoing a continuous process of democratic reforms and rapprochement with European partners since 2018.

“The lasting establishment of stability and peace in the region provides an important foundation for expanding and deepening these efforts,” Wallmann said. She added that awarding the Hessian Peace Prize to Pashinyan recognizes progress in the peace process with the neighboring state and sends a visible signal in favor of understanding and the development of nonviolent approaches to conflict resolution.

Prof. Dr. Nicole Deitelhoff, a member of the Board of Trustees and a member of the executive board of the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF), said the award recognizes Pashinyan’s consistent commitment to nonviolence in one of the most deeply entrenched conflicts in the post-Soviet space.

“Both his political rise during the nonviolent Velvet Revolution of 2018 and his approach to resolving relations with Azerbaijan have been shaped by the goal of preventing the further spread of violence and avoiding military escalation,” Deitelhoff said.

Karl Starzacher, former president of the Hessian Landtag, chairman of the Hessian Peace Prize Board of Trustees and former state minister, said Pashinyan’s political course was particularly deserving of the peace prize.

“Instead of relying on rhetorical or military escalation, he relies on diplomacy, international mediation and political negotiations,” Starzacher said, adding that Pashinyan’s policy is aimed less at achieving short-term goals and more at gradually expanding political space.

About the Hessian Peace Prize

The prize, endowed with €25,000, has been awarded by the Albert Osswald Foundation since 1994. It recognizes efforts to end wars, violence or conflicts involving the threat of violence, preventive measures, strategies for avoiding violent conflicts, and contributions to international understanding.

The prize was established by former Hesse Prime Minister Albert Osswald and his family. The Board of Trustees includes representatives of Germany’s leading peace research institutes, who advise on the awarding of the prize.

The award was suspended in 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic. In subsequent years, winners were recognized for the preceding year. This year’s award covers the 2025 and 2026 prize years, after which awards will again be given for the current year. The prize money will be awarded only once for this double year.