Samir Sharifov was appointed as Minister of Finance of the Republic of Azerbaijan as per the Decree signed by President Ilham Aliyev on April 18, 2006. According to another Decree signed by the President on the same date, Mr. Sharifov was removed from his post of the Executive Director of the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Mr. Sharifov was appointed as SOFAZ Executive Director in January 3, 2001 – immediately after the Regulations of SOFAZ was approved (December 29, 2000) by late President Heydar Aliyev. SOFAZ was established by the Presidential Decree signed on December 29, 1999.