Aliyev Receives Gernika Award for Peace and Reconciliation

President Ilham Aliyev was named the recipient of the Gernika Award for Peace and Reconciliation on Sunday, April 26, 2026, marking Gernika Victims' Remembrance Day. The Azerbaijani head of state addressed the ceremony participants by video message, citing efforts to end the three-decade conflict with Armenia.

A Joint Award From Two European Cities

The award was presented jointly by the Town Councils of Gernika-Lumo and Pforzheim, the Gernika Peace Museum, the Casa de Cultura, and the Gernika Gogoratuz Peace Research Center, according to APA, Caliber.Az and AzerNews. The annual prize is conferred each April 26, the date in 1937 when the Basque town of Gernika was bombed by Nazi German and Italian fascist forces, an attack later immortalized by Pablo Picasso's painting.

Aliyev did not travel to the Basque Country in person; sources confirmed he addressed participants via a recorded video message.

Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Track Cited

In his remarks, Aliyev framed the prize as recognition of the bilateral peace process with Armenia, referencing the August 2025 Washington Joint Declaration that ended the three-decade Karabakh conflict. "It is a great honor to receive the 'Gernika Award for Peace and Reconciliation,'" Aliyev said, according to APA.

He added that "the Azerbaijani people understand the value of peace and reconciliation very well," tying the recognition to Baku's stated commitment to dialogue with Yerevan.

Symbolism of the Date

The choice of April 26 carries deliberate weight. Gernika has hosted the international peace prize for years, using the anniversary of the 1937 bombing to honor figures associated with reconciliation efforts. For Aliyev, the prize lands as a rare European civil-society recognition during a period in which Western capitals have often profiled Baku through the lens of the Karabakh chapter rather than the post-2025 normalization track with Armenia.