Aliyev hugged me and told me that …
Today he is a well-known Russian statesman and 7 years have passed since the assassination of public figure Boris Nemtsov. His day of remembrance 20From the book “Confession of a rebel” (“Confession of a rebel” – ed.), Published in 07, with Azerbaijan, former president We present a piece about Heydar Aliyev.
Free a person can act as he wishes, but an official is obliged to follow certain rules. There is a specific protocol and it is important to follow it. I violated that protocol once. The whole country already knows that story and they still remind me when the time comes. We are talking about the President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev snowI’m going to be whipped in white pants. I still curse that day, but it doesn’t change anything…
Of course, I have many reasons to justify myself. Let me start with him that, Heydar Aliyevich, in general, I am snowI didn’t have to sneeze. I went to work comfortably according to the plan. It was 35 degrees, and the air was terrible. Unexpectedly, Chernomyrdin (then Prime Minister of Russia – ed.) Called and reported that, Went to Vnukovo, Heydar Aliyev snowI have to fuck.
– Victor Stepanovich, I look very ugly…
– What do you mean? Are you foggy?
– No, worse: in white pants and t-shirt…
“Nothing will happen, it’s not so bad,” said the Prime Minister.
– After all, it’s not my turn, Chubais is not leaving.
– We have given Chubaysa another job – the Prime Minister interrupted the conversation.
We had to turn the car and drive to the airport. There was no time to go home or change my clothes in the store.
When I arrived at the airport, I inspected the staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and I understood that, It will not be possible to borrow a suit from anyone – as if you deliberately choose to lose weight and sent small staff. I hurriedly put on the guard’s jacket with gold buttons and went to the tray.
Heydar Aliyev wore a black woolen suit, a white shirt and a dark tie. He was sweating. He hugged me and said softly in my ear: “I have been against this meaningless protocol since Soviet times.”
The meeting went normally, we hurriedly filled the limousines. But it was too late: the cameras had already recorded my appearance, which was a sharp contrast to the esteemed president of a friendly country.
Yeltsin called and asked: “What happened, did you meet? I heard that, you came out to greet the guest in a strange way. What are you wearing? ”
I said everything.
– This is a gross violation of the rules. Why do you look like that at work in general? – I clearly felt the nervousness in the president’s voice on the phone.
That move was indeed a violation of tradition. He is from India, everyone wears white: no white pants, no white short-sleeved shirt, no tie… The situation is almost the same in Pakistan. In our country, the situation is quite the opposite in Russia…