Ahmadinejad dismisses his chief of staff for pro-Israeli stanceApril 10, 2011 - 15:28 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dismissed his chief of staff on April 9, the official IRNA news agency reported, sidelining a controversial figure who is seen as a possible future presidential contender. Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaie, a target for Ahmadinejad's detractors within the conservative ruling elite, has survived many calls to be sacked and had enjoyed the confidence of the president, to whom he is related by the marriage of their children. While Mashaie retains several other governmental posts, his position as chief of staff has been taken by another close Ahmadinejad aide, Hamid Baqaie. Mashaie angered many hardliners by suggesting Iran was a friend to all nations, including the people of Israel, and by promoting an "Iranian" school of Islamic thought, seen by many in the Islamic Republic as unacceptable, Reuters reported. Top stories On June 10, Azerbaijani President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev will leave for Turkey on a working visit. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). Partner news | Armenia congratulates “friendly people of Belarus” on Independence Day The Armenian Foreign Mnisitry has congratulated the “friendly people of Belarus” on Independence Day. Armenian wrestlers win 3 medals at U20 European Championships The Armenian team has won 3 medals at the U20 European Greco-Roman Wrestling Championships. Ameriabank, COAF pool efforts to develop beekeeping in Lori COAF and Ameriabank have presented their joint program Harvesting Nature’s Bounty. Armenian, Georgian Foreign Ministers meet in Tbilisi The meeting of Ararat Mirzoyan and Ilia Darchiashvili, is underway in Tbilisi, the Armenian Foreign Ministry reveals. |