Mario Nalbandian, Co-Chairman of the Socialist International Committee for the CIS, the Caucasus and the Black Sea, encountered problems with arriving in Azerbaijan to take part in the Committee’s meeting in Baku October 11:12.

Before selling tickets to ARF members, the Tbilisi office of Azerbaijani Airlines demanded consent of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs or of the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Georgia.

Mario Nalbandian made a statement saying that the ARF delegation is participating in the Committee’s meeting, and he is Committee Co-Chairman. The ARF delegation’s participation in the important meeting strengthens the belief that, despite the importance of interstate negotiations, parties - both opposition and pro-governmental ones – can play their role in the process. The Socialist International is a forum for processes to progress, as the organization’s main aim is a fair resolution of conflicts. The ARF delegation was properly introduced and voiced its opinion on the negotiations and announced its expectations about the Social International. Unfortunately, the ARF delegation failed to take part in the first part of the meeting because of some problems with entry visas. Later the information was received that the Secretary General of the Socialist International interrupted the conference, waiting for the problem to be resolved. The solution was found and the ARF delegation was able to take part in the meeting.

Representatives of socialist and socialist-democratic parties of the South Caucasus and Europe are participating in the Baku meeting. Among the issues on the agenda are regional conflicts, regional processes and possibility of the region’s socio-democratic development. The Committee’s last meeting was held in Yerevan on June 11-12.