Azerbaijani Foreign Minister dismissed

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has dismissed Elmar Mammadyarov from the post of head of the country’s Foreign Ministry, and almost simultaneously appointed Jeyhun Bayramov, who until now was the minister of education, to the position.

Local journalists and experts call this development of events ‘unexpected.’

“How will a person who has not worked for a single day in the diplomatic service conduct foreign policy?” asks Turan news agency.

The day before, on the evening of July 15 at a cabinet meeting, President Ilham Aliyev sharply criticized Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov. Mammadyarov himself did not participate in the meeting.

President Aliyev said that on July 12, during the fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan, everyone was at work, except for the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

“… After the events of the 12th, we were all at work … What was the Ministry of Foreign Affairs doing? Where was he?” the president asked.

Prime Minister Ali Asadov in response said that Elmar Mammadyarov works from home: “Mr. President, I asked him, he said that he was working from home.”

A journalist who called Elmar Mammadyarov about the matter was told: “For the sake of Allah, stop it. No other topics to ask? What are these questions?  Are people asking questions at this hour? Call Leila Abdullaeva tomorrow, she will answer.” 

Elmar Mammadyarov has been Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan since 2004.

On July 3, during a special operation conducted by the State Security Service in the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, three employees of the ministry were detained in connection with corruption.

Foreign Ministry Chairman Farhad Mollazade, head of the economic department of the Office of Affairs Salim Alizade and head of the consular and legal department of the Consular Department Nurupasha Abdullayev, according to official information, were arrested for taking a bribe.