U.S. President George W. Bush reiterated on Friday that he wanted to solve Iran's nuclear issue diplomatically and peacefully.

Speaking to reporters after meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev, Bush said, "I assured the president of my desire to solve this problem diplomatically and peacefully."

Bush made the remarks on the day when the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, was issuing a report diplomats said found Iran had ignored a U.N. Security Council call to suspend all nuclear fuel enrichment by a Friday deadline.

On bilateral relations, Bush said Azerbaijani has "a very important role to play" in guaranteeing energy security around the world.

Azerbaijian, which is rich in oil and gas, is a US ally in the war on terrorism, with troops in Iraq.

Source: Xinhua