President Bush has invited Afghanistan's interim leader, Hamid Karzai, to Washington. They will meet at the White House on January 28.
The official announcement came in a brief written statement from White House spokesman Ari Fleischer.
Mr. Fleischer provided few details of the visit. He gave only the date and said the talks will provide an opportunity to develop an American partnership with Afghanistan to eliminate terrorism, and build a stable Afghanistan. He said the United States looks forward to an Afghanistan that is prosperous, accountable to its citizens and at peace with its neighbors and the international community.
Hamid Karzai was sworn in as Afghanistan's interim leader on December 22. He heads an interim council that will run Afghanistan for six months. On Thursday, he met in Kabul with visiting Secretary of State Colin Powell.