Baku, 13 October 2014 A team from the Baku 2015 European Games organisers and the Azerbaijan NOC attended the Regional Forum organised in Tbilisi by the Georgian NOC as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations.

In total, 15 National Olympic Committees from the Independent States Commonwealth (the former Soviet countries) and Baltic States countries were invited to Georgia to take part in the event under the International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Solidarity National Olympic Committee Exchange and Regional Forums programme.

The Baku European Games organisers updated the guests, including members of the International Olympic Committee, on the latest developments for the inaugural European Games.

Mr Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee, and Mr Patrick Hickey, President of the European Olympic Committees (EOC), and Mr Spyros Capralos, Chair of the EOC Baku 2015 Coordination Commission, were also in attendance over the weekend, and had the opportunity to meet the President and Prime Minister of Georgia, as well as a number promising young athletes who hope to take part in the inaugural European Games in June 2015.

Mr James Macleod, Director of Athlete Services and Operations at Baku 2015, who informed delegates about preparations for the first European Games, said: “It was a great honour for our team to be invited to attend this prestigious anniversary by the Georgian National Olympic Committee.

“It was a perfect opportunity to update many of Azerbaijan’s neighbouring countries on our recent progress, and we are looking forward to having their athletes compete in Baku at the inaugural European Games.”