DUSHANBE, October 18. . The Leo Tolstoy International Peace Prize, awarded simultaneously to the presidents of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, has a unifying significance for Central Asia. This opinion is shared by Chairman of the Committee on Primary and Secondary Vocational Education of the Government of Tajikistan, member of the National Academy of Sciences Farhod Rahimi.
“For the Central Asian region, the Tolstoy Prize, awarded simultaneously to three presidents (Emomali Rahmon, Sadyr Japarov and Shavkat Mirziyoyev), has a unifying significance. It symbolizes the beginning of a new era of trust and cooperation between countries previously divided by historical and political contradictions,” the scientist said.
According to him, this is a recognition of solidarity in the region, the readiness of countries to independently resolve disputes and build a model of peaceful coexistence. “For the first time in many years, Central Asia has shown the world an example of a creative approach, in which diplomacy and mutual respect have become the main security tools,” the interlocutor emphasized.
Rahimi noted that any award at this level causes discussion. According to him, some experts believe that the Tolstoy Prize, as a young initiative, has not yet acquired the large-scale international prestige comparable to the Nobel Peace Prize. “However, its value lies not in its long tradition but in the relevance of the moral message it carries,” the interlocutor explains, adding that in the modern world, which is experiencing a profound crisis of humanism, “such symbolic gestures are especially important.”
According to this academician, this event is of special importance for Tajikistan. “The awarding of this award to the President of Tajikistan can be seen as international recognition not only of his peacekeeping policy at the regional level, but also of his global contribution to sustainable development and humanitarian interaction,” the interlocutor said. According to him, the symbolic meaning of this award goes beyond diplomatic recognition, first of all it is “proof that the ideas of humanism, peace and moral responsibility, proclaimed by the great writer, have been expressed in modern political practice.”
About the prize
In March 2025, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan finally resolved the border issue between the two countries, which had been a source of tension in relations between the neighboring republics for many years. And on March 31, the presidents of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan signed an agreement in Khujand on the point where the national borders of the three countries meet, thereby fully completing the legal formalization of the common border and signing the trilateral declaration. On September 9, 2025, the international jury announced the award of the International Peace Prize. Tolstoy Rakhmon, Japarov and Mirziyoyev, who signed the Khujand Declaration of eternal friendship.