Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Azerbaijan)


Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan is a Cabinet-level governmental agency in Azerbaijan Republic in charge of conducting and designing Azerbaijani Foreign policy.

History

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan was established in 1918, during the first Republic of Azerbaijan. In that period, Azerbaijan gained international recognition and built diplomatic relations with several countries. During the years of 1918-1920 there were operated representatives in Armenia, Georgia, Turkey, Turkistan, Mountainous republic and operated embassy and authorized representative offices, respectively in Iran and under Kuban and Don government. Azerbaijan had authorized representative office in Paris Peace Conference under the leadership of Alimardan Topchubashov.
After the Bolsheviks occupied Azerbaijan in April, 1920, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was abolished and was replaced by Azerbaijan SSR People's Foreign Affairs Commissariat. People's Foreign Affairs Commissariat, even if it did not have so serious authorities, implemented certain bilateral ties in foreign countries in 1920-1922, including Turkey, where Azerbaijan SSR had its own ambassador, Ibrahim Abilov. People's Foreign Affairs Commissioners of Azerbaijan were Nariman Narimanov and Mirza Davud Huseynov. But PFAC was abolished with incorporation of Azerbaijan SSR into Transcaucasian SFSR.
Towards the end of World War II, in 1944 the Soviet government restored Azerbaijan SSR PFAC. In 1946 PFAC was changed to Ministry of Foreign Affairs. But MFA still had not serious authorities. The last Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan SSR was Huseynaga Sadigov who led MFA as well during seven months of independent Azerbaijan Republic.
After Azerbaijan gained its independence, MFA has transformed into a complex Cabinet-level agency, in charge of designing and conducting Azerbaijani foreign policy.

Mission

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is operated in accordance with the Azerbaijani constitution, legislation, regulations, decrees and the main missions are:

Diplomacy Day

Day of the Diplomatic Service, also known as Diplomacy Day, is an official professional holiday in Azerbaijan. Since 2017, according to the Ilham Aliyev's order on the establishment of a professional holiday for employees of the diplomatic services of Azerbaijan, it is celebrated on July 9 each year.

Diplomatic Academy

Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy was launched in 2006 in order to prepare global leaders and politicians. In 2014 by the decree of president turned into university.

Azerbaijani representation abroad

In order to increase its diplomatic missions abroad government initiated to apply the relating strategy in the mid of 2000. At present Ministry of foreign affairs maintains the following missions abroad:
Furthermore, ministry of foreign affairs cooperates both with a number of international and regional organizations. The main relations is maintained with Organization of Islamic Conference, United Nations, European Union, Commonwealth Independent States, GUAM, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, UNESCO, Council of Europe, TURKPA, Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States.

List of ministers

Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
MinistersYears
Mammadhasan Hajinsky28 May – 6 October 1918
Alimardan Topchubashov6 October - 26 December 1918
Fatali Khan Khoysky26 December 1918 – 14 April 1919
Mammadyusif Jafarov14 April – 12 December 1919

Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic
MinistersYears
Nariman NarimanovApril,1920 – May, 1921
Mirza HuseynovMay – December, 1921
Mahmud Aliyev1944 – 1958
Tahira Tahirova1959 – 1983
Elmira Gafarova1983 – 1987
Huseynaga Sadiqov23 January 1988 – 29 May 1992

Republic of Azerbaijan
MinistersYears
Tofiq Gasimov4 July 1992 – 26 June 1993
Hasan Hasanov2 September 1993 – 16 February 1998
Tofig Zulfugarov5 Mart, 1998 – 26 October 1999
Vilayet Guliyev26 October 1999 – 2 April 2004
Elmar Mammadyarov2 April 2004 – 16 July 2020