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Asker Hasanov, the father of the new Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan Zakir Hasanov, was born in Armenia, in the city of Echmiatsin, afterwards their family moved to Yerevan, where he lived for many years, newspaper "Yeni Musavat" found out as a result of its own investigation.

The newspaper began investigating the roots of the new minister, as soon as the media started to spread information that he is from Nakhijevan, despite the fact that in his official biography Astara was recorded as his birthplace. Also, there were some reports that he was a native of Armenia.

The newspaper found out that Hasanov’s father served in the frontier troops as an officer during the Soviet time. And Zakir Hasanov was truly born in the Astara region in Azerbaijan, where his father was sent rom Yerevan.

On 22 October 2013 Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on appointing a new government. Zakir Hasanov was appointed the new Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan. He previously held the position of commander of the Interior Troops of the Interior Ministry. Former Defense Minister Safar Abiyev, who held that post since 1995, was not included into the new government. After the appointment Hasanov replaced several high-ranking military officers.