U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton underscored “the strategic importance of the relationship between the United States and Azerbaijan” prior to a meeting in Washington with visiting Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

“We are very committed to broadening and deepening our relationship and we are also committed to continuing to work through the Minsk Group to try to resolve the longstanding conflict in Nagorno Karabakh,” she said.

“I believe that the relations between Azerbaijan and the United States are developing quite well… Of course, we need to even more deepening and strengthening our cooperation,” Mammadyarov said, in turn.

He also thanked the U.S. for the attempts to bring more peace and stability to the South Caucasus, particularly the resolution of the Karabakh problem.

“There was a recent statement by the Presidents which I believe also helpful from the point of view that this unresolved conflict is on the screen of the international community,” the Azeri Minister said.