The President of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, has dismissed the senior government official for refugees, and has threatened financial officials with further sackings for poor work.

At a cabinet meeting in Baku on Friday the President dismissed the head of the State Committee for Refugees and Forced Settlers, Gyulabbas Gakhramanov.

He also reprimanded several other senior officials with financial responsiilities, criticising their inability to tackle corruption and the poor record of tax collection.

He said that law enforcement agencies must not interfere with the activities of foreign companies in Azerbaijan.