WIESBADEN – Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pash- inyan has been awarded the Hessian Peace Prize in recog- nition of his efforts toward es- tablishing peace in the South Caucasus. The award was presented to Pashinyan during an offi- cial ceremony at the Hessian State Parliament in Wies- baden, Germany. Upon his arrival at the par- liament, Pashinyan was wel- comed by Vice President of the Hes- sian State Parliament Daniela Sommer and Karl Starzacher, chairman of the board of trustees of the Albert Osswald Foundation. The Armenian prime min- ister then signed the parliament’s book of honored guests. According to German broadcaster Hessenschau, Pashinyan was recog- nized for pursuing democratic reforms since 2018, strengthening Armenia’s relations with the European Union, and advancing efforts toward resolv- ing the long-standing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nago- rno-Karabakh. The German report noted that un- der Pashinyan’s leadership, Armenia has gradually moved closer to Europe and that, in 2025, the country adopt- ed legislation formally declaring the launch of a process aimed at pursuing European Union membership. The report also highlighted devel- opments in the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process, noting that after de- cades of conflict, Armenia and Azer- baijan initialed a peace agreement in August 2025 under U.S. auspices. Astrid Wallmann, a member of the prize’s board of trustees, said the award recognizes the progress achieved in the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Karl Starzacher, chairman of the board of trustees, noted that Pashinyan had chosen diplomacy and political ne- gotiations over further military escala- tion. Speakers at the award ceremony included Serap Güler, Minister of State at Germany’s Federal Foreign Office; Starzacher; and Michaela Jäckel-Oss- wald, a member of the Albert Osswald Foundation committee and daughter of Albert Osswald. In their remarks, the speakers ad- dressed the decision to award the peace prize to Pashinyan and praised his ef- forts toward establishing peace be- tween Armenia and Azerbaijan. They also highlighted his role in advancing democratic reforms in Armenia and developing the country’s relations with the European Union. The ceremony also included a pre- sentation on Pashinyan’s biography and career, including his work as a journalist and editor, his service as a member of parliament, his leadership during Armenia’s 2018 popular, non- violent Velvet Revolution, and his sub- sequent tenure as prime minister.