Arif Rahimzade

Arif Rahimzade was born on February 3, 1941 in Ganja, Azerbaijan. The politician, who has the title of doctor of philosophy in agricultural sciences, completed his education at the Azerbaijan Agricultural Institute, Faculty of Agriculture and Baku Higher Party School. Rahimzade, also known for his command of Russian, started his academic studies as a researcher at the Azerbaijan Livestock Research Institute in 1963.

Rahimzade, who served as an inspector at the Leningrad Regional Fruit and Vegetable Inspectorate in the early years of his career, worked as a researcher at the Crimea Experiment Station, and then worked as science secretary and senior researcher at the Azerbaijan Livestock Scientific Research Institute in 1969. He started his political career in 1971 as the chief secretary in the Council of Ministers of the Azerbaijan SSR.

Rahimzade, who worked as a lecturer, head of department and deputy head of department in the Central Committee of the Azerbaijan Communist Party since 1974, worked as the First Secretary of the Kuba Rayon Party Committee from 1987 to 1989. The politician, who was elected as a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 1991, also served as chairman of the commission.

In 1993-1994, he served as State Counselor for Business with Regional Governments of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Arif Rahimzade, who was elected as a member of parliament in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th terms of the National Assembly of the Republic of Azerbaijan, led parliamentary activities for many years as the 1st Deputy Speaker of the Assembly from October 1994 to December 2005. Rahimzade, who was elected as a member of parliament from the Neftchala constituency on November 7, 2010 and served as the chairman of the Regional Committee of the Parliament between 2010 and 2020, also chaired the Azerbaijan delegation of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Azerbaijani delegation of the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly.

The politician, who is also the chairman of the Azerbaijan-Russia inter-parliamentary working group, was elected as the Chairman of the Senior Council formed at the extraordinary congress of the New Azerbaijan Party held on March 5, 2021.

Arif Rahimzade, who is married and the father of two children, was awarded the Order of Fame by the decision of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on April 26, 2011, and on February 3, 2021, he was awarded the Order of Honor by the President of Azerbaijan for his long-term activities in socio-political life.