Azerbaijan
Aliyev replaces long-serving central bank head with loyalist
The Azerbaijani Parliament has approved a proposal by President Ilham Aliyev to replace the longtime governor of the Central Bank, Elman Rustamov, with the CEO of Pasha Bank, Taleh Kazimov. Prior to his dismissal on 12 April, Rustamov had served as the Central Bank’s governor for 27 years. His replacement, 38-year-old Taleh Kazimov, was until his appointment the chairman and CEO of Pasha Bank. The bank is widely seen as being linked to the ruling family. According to the Organised Crime and