Azerbaijan, Baku, May 6 / Trend , E.Tariverdiyeva/
Talks between U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia laid the foundation for discussions between the Presidents of the two countries, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza said.
"Today's discussions in Washington laid the foundation for a constructive discussion on Thursday in Prague between Presidents Aliyev and Sargsian, who we hope will make important progress in narrowing their differences on the Basic Principles, Bryza told Trend over phone from Washington.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Armenia's Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan are on visit to Washington at the invitation of Secretary Clinton.
Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sargsian will meet in Prague on May 7. The sides will continue direct negotiations on resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
"Today's talks between Secretary Clinton and Foreign Ministers Nalbandian and Mammadyarov were constructive and warm," Bryza said.
The Secretary stressed her readiness in these separate meetings to do whatever she could to support our efforts in the OSCE's Minsk Group to secure a breakthrough in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.