US expert: Personnel reforms in Azerbaijan government will serve to strengthen national interests

"The current changes in the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan is a visionary strategy embraced by the President H. E. Mr. Ilham ALIYEV," US international affairs expert and scholar of Azerbaijani Studies, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (USA) Peter Tase told Report.

"The current changes in the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan is a visionary strategy embraced by the President H. E. Mr. Ilham ALIYEV, to reinvigorate the public service and strengthen Azerbaijan's Foreign Policy," Tase said.

According to the expert, the leadership, courage and wisdom of Mr. Ramiz Mehdiyev will be "greatly missed": "His stellar, outstanding service to the Republic of Azerbaijan has shaped a legacy of great accomplishments in the modern history of Azerbaijan. The appointment of young professionals in the Presidential Administration is a testimony to the promotion of young, dynamic public servants and of Azerbaijan's deeply rooted western European public service and statecraft".

"The Republic of Azerbaijan is in the right course of economic development and is pursuing a highly pragmatic foreign policy. The new executives in the Presidential Administration will continue to defend the national interests and territorial sovereignty, integrity of Azerbaijan," the US expert said.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said earlier that 'staff reforms are needed and are inevitable". Mikayil Jabbarov was appointed the Minister of Economy by the order of the head of state, and the Ministry of Economy incorporated the Ministry of Taxes and  the State Committee for Property Issues. Notably, Jabbarov replaced Shahin Mustafayev, who was appointed the Vice PM of Azerbaijan.

All the same, by his order Ilham Aliyev released Ramiz Mehdiyev from the post as Head of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan. Ramiz Mehdiyev was further elected Head of the country's National Academy of Science.