YEREVAN (ArmRadio)-The United States considers Armenia an "important partner" and will continue to cooperate with Yerevan toward realizing mutual goals of regional security, economic development and democratic reform, a top State Department official said Friday in talks with Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian.

"Armenia has been an important partner for the United States in areas ranging from nuclear security to peacekeeping in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq," said Tina Kaidanow, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs.

"We look forward to continuing our partnership with Armenia in establishing regional stability, promoting economic development, implementing structural reform, and accelerating the process of democratization," she added.

The US role in the Karabakh peace process was similarly on the agenda of Kaidanow's meeting in Yerevan, according to the Armenian Foreign Ministry, which said the two discussed "views on the latest developments in the negotiations on the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh issue." Nalbandian and Kaidanow also spoke about Armenia's frozen rapprochement with Turkey.

The US envoy made held similar talks in Azerbaijan on Wednesday, with President Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

She spoke to reporters in the Azeri capital about Washington's commitment to settling the Karabakh conflict. She also sought to assure official Baku of the US commitment to a settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

"We will continue the activity together with two co-chairing states. The US-Azerbaijani relations have become the main issue of talks during the meeting with the president and the foreign minister. The meetings were constructive and we are going to continue efforts in this direction," she said.

On US-Azeri relations, she told the press conference that she had informed Azerbaijan's president and foreign minister "that the United States pays a special attention to strategic partnership with Azerbaijan and intends to continue this."

She also discussed the long anticipated appointment of a US ambassador to Azerbaijan, but did not specify the name of the new official. "The new US ambassador will be appointed to Azerbaijan and I would like to note that this has nothing to do with the US-Azerbaijan strategic partnership. This is just a bureaucracy issue. This issue will be settled soon. I am sorry but I cannot say who will be appointed. Only the White House can answer this question."