LINKS launched a dialogue between parliamentarians from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia in the beginning of 2001. There was at first great skepticism in the region, as well as in the wider international community about this work. Meetings were initially held in the UK.
Attempts to move the process to the region in February 2003 proved premature as participants struggled to deal with enormous media pressure. By May 2003 however the Initiative could be launched formally and the three Parliaments signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Tbilisi outlining the working modalities. The Memorandum provides for half yearly Plenary Assemblies with the participation of ten parliamentarians from each side, and a Presidium of three MPs from each side. From this point onwards ownership of SCPI has been very much with the Parliaments of the three countries. The initiative now has a rotating Chairmanship between the three countries and a Secretariat, as well as various other mechanisms that are there to ensure continuity and smooth working conditions.
The first meeting of the Presidium of SCPI was held in Latvia in August 2003, followed by a dialogue with the Presidency of the Baltic Parliamentary Assembly in Lithuania. Since then a number Plenary Assemblies have been held - the first in Scotland in December 2003 - in addition to a number of other Presidium meetings. Plenary Assemblies have been highly evaluated both by participants and outside observers. The Parliament of Georgia held the first Chairmanship from January to June 2004, the Armenian Parliament took over in July 2004 and in January 2005 they handed over to the Azerbaijan Parliament. The Chairmanship is now in its second rotation.