Yerevan /Mediamax/. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in a telephone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken that “Washington’s recent statements and steps have seriously damaged relations between the two countries.”

The news release of Azerbaijani president’s press office reports about this.

In particular, the release says Aliyev emphasized that the views expressed by Assistant Secretary of State James O’Brien at a November 15 hearing of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee “were biased, did not reflect reality and were rejected by Azerbaijan.”

He noted that Baku adequately responded to the statement of the U.S. side on canceling bilateral meetings and high-level contacts and for its part canceled high-level visits to the United States.

The report notes that Blinken asked for permission for the visit of U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James O’Brien to Azerbaijan in December for the normalization of relations.

“President Aliyev agreed, on the condition that after this visit the unjustified ban on visits of high-ranking Azerbaijani officials to the United States would be lifted. Secretary to Blinken accepted this condition,” the news release says.

The U.S. Department of State said in a news release about the telephone conversation with Ilham Aliyev:

“The Secretary welcomed President Aliyev’s commitment to conclude a durable and dignified peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia.  The Secretary recognized the suffering that this long-standing conflict has caused Azerbaijanis and Armenians alike and underscored the benefits that peace would bring to everyone in the region.  The Secretary discussed our enduring relations with Azerbaijan, noted recent points of concern in the relationship and also spoke about opportunities to strengthen cooperation, especially around the peace process, and the importance of high-level engagement.”