Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attended the 27th award ceremony of the "Prince Talal International Prize for Human Development".

The event was attended by Her Majesty Queen Sofía of Spain; Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, who serves as the Chairman of the AGFUND Board of Directors and the Prize Committee, as well as members of the National Assembly, members of the Government of the Republic of Armenia, diplomats, ambassadors, and other high-ranking guests, including members of the Prize Committee.

Nikol Pashinyan delivered a speech.

"Your Majesty Queen Sofia,
Your Royal Highness Abdulaziz bin Talal Al Saud,
Distinguished guests,
Esteemed attendees,
Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great honor to welcome you to Yerevan on the occasion of the Prince Talal International Prize for Human Development.

I would like to express my gratitude to the Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND) for this values-based initiative and for the decision to hold it in the Republic of Armenia. It is highly symbolic that this award ceremony is being held in Armenia within the context of the ongoing COP17 meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Today, as the world faces interconnected economic, social, and environmental challenges, the significance of such initiatives grows even greater, initiatives that demonstrate that the true value of development is measured not merely by economic indicators, but by the quality of people’s lives, their opportunities, and their confidence in the future.

Distinguished guests,

I would like to emphasize that this year’s awards ceremony is dedicated to the goal of "Affordable and Clean Energy." It conveys an important message: that human well-being and environmental protection are interconnected, and that lasting progress is possible only when both are pursued together.

Our objective is to ensure that the energy transition not only strengthens economic and energy security but also creates new development opportunities, making its benefits accessible to all segments of society.

Armenia attaches great importance to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, firmly believing that progress today must be accompanied by a sense of responsibility toward future generations. This significant responsibility compels us to take collective and consistent action to address climate change, the loss of biodiversity, land degradation, and pollution. The need to translate these nature-conservation efforts into tangible, practical results is also reflected in the theme "Acting for Nature," under which the COP17 in Yerevan is being held.

Our objective is to ensure that the energy transition not only strengthens economic and energy security but also creates new development opportunities, making its benefits accessible to all segments of society.

Armenia attaches great importance to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, firmly believing that progress today must be accompanied by a sense of responsibility toward future generations. This significant responsibility compels us to take collective and consistent action to address climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, and pollution. The need to translate these nature-conservation efforts into tangible, practical results is also reflected in the theme "Acting for Nature," under which the COP17 in Yerevan is being held.

In the lead-up to this event, the "Leaders for Nature" summit, held in Yerevan on October 16, brought together political leaders and other partners to reaffirm the need for political will and collective action in nature conservation. The "Yerevan Declaration: Acting for Nature" initiative, adopted during the summit, emphasizes that nature conservation must become an integral part not only of environmental policy but also of economic and development decisions.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The achievements of today’s award recipients demonstrate, once again, that real change becomes possible when innovative ideas are combined with consistent effort and a sense of responsibility.

I would like to congratulate all the award recipients in advance and express my gratitude for the valuable work they are doing to build a sustainable future.

I express my gratitude to the Arab Gulf Programme for Development for its long-standing work dedicated to human well-being and its significant contribution to strengthening international cooperation. I am confident that today’s event will mark the beginning of joint initiatives, transforming successful experiences into new development opportunities.

Distinguished guests,

May our collective efforts be directed toward building a world where economic progress goes hand in hand with social justice, environmental conservation, and the right of every individual to a life of dignity.

Thank you''.

During the ceremony, four projects that proposed innovative solutions in the fields of clean energy and human development were honored with awards.

The awards were presented by Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal Al Saud. The programs cover the following areas: climate-resilient water supply systems, food security and sustainable livelihoods, technologies for producing biofuel from waste, as well as solar-powered irrigation services for small-scale farms. The total prize fund amounts to 1 million US dollars and is distributed across four categories.