Wednesday, March 16 2005 20:08 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will undertake a "working visit" to the US sometime in July at the invitation of President George W Bush.

The invitation was extended by visiting U S Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice when she called on the Prime Minister today (Mar 16, 2005) and conveyed to him that Bush attaches great importance to Indo-US ties, a senior U S Embassy official in New Delhi told reporters.

Dates for the visits will be worked out through diplomatic channels, the official said adding an "agenda" would be worked out for the discussions between now and then.

The US President will be visiting India late this year or early next year, the official said.

Ahead of the Prime Minister's visit, External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh is likely to travel to Washington next month.

Rice, who had a 25-minute one-to-one meeting with the Prime Minister, said it was decided by Bush that she should visit India early in her tenure to convey his strong commitment to Indo-US relations, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna told reporters.

Explaining India's growing energy needs in view of its rapid economic growth, the Prime Minister underlined the need for an energy dialogue between the two countries covering all aspects, including various traditional and non-traditional sources of energy.