BAKU — Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has replaced the long-time Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov with Ceyhun Bayramov amid an escalation of the conflict with neighboring Armenia.

Aliyev’s July 16 decision to sack Mammadyarov and appoint Bayramov to the post came a day after he harshly criticized Mammadyarov at a government session for his “passive” approach in dealing with deadly military clashes that erupted along the Azerbaijani-Armenian border on July 12.

“I think that our diplomatic activities could be more effective. I have repeatedly said that our diplomacy should be offensive, not passive, not defensive. Diplomacy must not be afraid to speak out,” Aliyev said during the session.

Mammadyarov had served as the oil-rich South Caucasus nation’s top diplomat since April 2004.

Bayramov served as Azerbaijan’s education minister before his July 16 appointment.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Sign Up for Our Newsletters

Get notified of the latest updates from MassisPost.

You May Also Like

Armenian Parliament Passes Bill on Confiscation of Illegally Acquired Property

YEREVAN– Armenia’s parliament passed in the first reading on Thursday a government…

Hrazdan Stadium Owner Declares Bankruptcy

YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — A prominent member of the ruling Republican Party of…

“Forgiveness Comes After Recognition”: President Sarkissian’s Message to Turkish Counterpart Erdogan

BERN — Ahead of November 11 centennial of the armistice that put…

PM Pashinyan Attends “Shaping the Future of Democracy” Panel Discussion in Davos

DAVOS — On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos,…