Azerbaijan: President's wife to chair Eurovision 2012 committee

by Victor Hondal 332 views

Azerbaijan is rapidly starting up preparations for the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest, to be held in Baku. The president of the country Ilham Aliyev has set up a special committee that will organise the competition, chaired by his wife Mehriban Aliyeva.

Mr Aliyev has ordered to start preparing next year's Eurovision Song Contest. Important Azerbaijani officials from the national Government and bussinessmen are involved with the project by joining the 2012 organising committee. Remarkably, the first lady of the country, Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva has been appointed chairperson of the board. The president's wife is also member of the National Assembly, UNESCO good-will ambassador and president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

The full composition of the committee is listed below:

  • Chairperson:Mehriban Aliyeva
  • Elmar Mammadyarov,Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan
  • Ramil Usubov,Interior Minister of Azerbaijan
  • Shahin Mustafayev,Economic Development Minister of Azerbaijan
  • Abulfas Garayev,Culture and Tourism Minister of Azerbaijan
  • Ali Abbasov,Communication and Information Technology Minister of Azerbaijan
  • Azad Rahimov,Youth and Sports Minister of Azerbaijan
  • Hajibala Abutalibov,Mayor of Baku
  • Cahangir Asgarov,President of Azerbaijan Airways CJSC
  • Etibar Pirverdiyev,President of Azerenergy OJSC
  • Baba Rzayev,Chairman of Bakielektrikshabaka OJSC
  • Ismayil Omarov,Director General of Ictimai Public Television and Radio Company
  • Ali Asadov,Aid to Azerbaijani President for Economic Affairs
  • Fatma Abdullazade,Head of humanitarian policy department at the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration