October 26, 2009 - 16:36 AMT
Armenia proposes to create a border-free economic zone to Azerbaijan
"The meeting of parliamentary delegations of Armenia and Azerbaijan, held in the Russian State Duma, was a continuation of Armenian-Azerbaijani people's diplomacy," Vardan Khachatryan , MP of the "Heritage" political party's parliamentary faction told a press conference in Yerevan today.

Mr. Khachatryan said that during the meeting the parties focused on finding the ways to establish a dialogue between the peoples of Azerbaijan and Armenia, without touching the subject of military conflict. 

Mr.Khachatryan also said that the Armenian side proposed to establish a free economic zone in the north of Armenia (between the Armenian Ijevan and Azerbaijani Kazakh), where Azeris and Armenians will be able to reach understanding through economic relations. "Everybody understands that this is not a matter of economic benefits to be derived but rather of a surface to start a dialogue between the two peoples," Mr. Khachatryan said. 

Answering a question whether the Azerbaijani side has agreed with this idea, Vardan Khachatryan mentioned that the meeting was not deprived of emotional speeches by Azerbaijani delegates, even related to the issues of refugees - but, in general, the Azerbaijani side also was not against the proposal of the Armenian MPs.