US Ambassador to Baku Reno Harnish denied the statement of Azeri Defense Minister Safar Abiyev that during the meeting with the US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on behalf of the present Administration supported the stepwise settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. As reported by Zerkalo Baku newspaper, the Ambassador stated it at a meeting with journalists yesterday. "I am not aware what about the defense ministers were speaking or not speaking during their conversation. But I can say with confidence that Donald Rumsfeld could not make such a statement: we are very prudent in statements on the issue, especially on the eve of the meeting of Foreign Ministers of the conflicting parties," the Ambassador stated.