Elshad Nasirov was born in 1960, in Baku. In 1982 he graduated from Moscow State Institute of International Relations. He worked in 1981-1982 in USSR embassy in Afghanistan, in 1982-1985 in Institute of Oriental Studies of the USSR Academy of Sciences, in 1985-1989 at different positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of USSR. He worked in 1989-1992 in Soviet Embassy in India. As Azerbaijan gained its state independence, in 1992-1995 Mr. Nasirov worked in the Permanent Representative Office of Azerbaijan in the UN, and in 1995-1997 he was promoted to the position of chief of division in the administration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan. In 1997-2003, Mr. Nasirov worked as a chief of the Foreign Economic Operations Department, and in 2003-2005, as a chief of the Marketing and Operations Department of SOCAR. By the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, on December 28, 2005, he was appointed as vice-president of SOCAR on investments and marketing. Elshad Nasirov is also the vice-president of Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan. In 2010, he was awarded the Glory order, under the Decree of the President of Azerbaijan. He is fluent in Russian, English, Persian and Indian.