Washington seeks stronger ties with Azerbaijan, Bryza says

"Azerbaijan is a friend. It is a partner, a country that the US needs to work with," Bryza said in an interview with Trend news agency.

"I wouldn’t say there will be a major change towards policy in the Southern Caucasus and Azerbaijan in particular,” he said. "Regardless who is the next president, the US approach to Azerbaijan is based on shared interests in terms of security, energy, in terms of reforms. At the end, the US president will see Azerbaijan is an important country for the US.”

Regarding the possible change in the US policy on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Bryza said Clinton is familiar with the region and its problems.

"When I was a co-chair, Secretary Hillary Clinton was very interested in the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, she was asking me the details, expressing her strong support to the negotiation’s process,” Bryza said. "As it is known, she made a couple of trips to the region. She has a very powerful, strategic mind. I can’t predict what she will do, but I can say she is familiar with the issue, and she appreciates its importance.”