External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh has invited the new US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to visit India.
Singh called up Rice on Thursday evening and congratulated her on her confirmation as US Secretary of State, an External Affairs Ministry spokesman said.
Rice, in turn, invited Singh to visit the US.
Rice, President George W Bush's closest foreign policy adviser and architect of his policies on the war against terror and Iraq, was sworn in on Thursday becoming the first black woman to hold the key post.
Fifty-year-old Rice played a key role in promoting closer ties with India and was instrumental in forging the Next Steps in Strategic Partnership envisaging expansion of cooperation in civilian nuclear activities, space programmes and hi-technology trade.
In addition, the two countries have also agreed to expand dialogue on missile defence.
Also read: