Azerbaijani President İlham Aliyev has appointed Lieutenant General Kerim Valiyev as Chief of the General Staff of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces.
The relevant decree was signed on July 23.
Valiyev was engaged in combat operations for Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity during the Second Karabakh War in autumn 2020 and received four presidential medals for liberation of Aghdam, Jabrayil and Gubadli.
He had received three other medals between 1994 and 2012. Valiyev (60) has served as a deputy chief of the training department, deputy brigade commander, brigade commander, deputy commander of the front, Deputy Minister of Defense for combat operations, corps commander, chief of the Center for Military Science, Chief of the Department of Defense Planning Military Strategy in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan since 1992.
Valiyev will replace Najmaddin Sadigov who was Chief of Staff from November 1993 till January 2021.
