New Delhi, May 10: US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage today held discussions with deputy prime minister L K Advani on the Indo-Pak peace initiatives besides bilateral relations between Washington and New Delhi. At the meeting, which lasted 40 minutes, Armitage delivered a personal letter of invitation to Advani from American vice president Dick Cheney to visit the United States.

Advani accepted the invitation and is likely to pay an official visit to the United States next month, sources said.
The issue of the peace initiatives between India and Pakistan is understood to have figured at the 40-minute meeting the two leaders had.

Armitage refused to speak to the media after the meeting at the North Block office of Advani.
Foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal and home secretary N Gopalaswami were also present at the meeting.

Bureau Report