Washington, May 2 :    Washington, May 2:  Notwithstanding the differences between India and the US on a range of issues, the two countries are to aggressively pursue an active agenda in promoting their bilateral relations. A month after President George W. Bush escorted external affairs minister Jaswant Singh into the White House for an unscheduled 40-minute meeting, the governments in New Delhi and Washington are preparing for an intensive engagement in the coming months. Foreign secretary Chokila Iyer will arrive here in less than a fortnight in the first major initiative as part of that effort. She will have her first meeting with Marc Grossman, the new under-secretary for political affairs in the Bush administration. Shortly thereafter, Gen. Henry H. Shelton, chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, is to travel to India although the exact dates of his visit are yet to be determined, according to sources here. These and other high-level exchanges which are planned between the sides have raised hopes that notwithstanding differences between Washington and New Delhi on religious freedom, nuclear issues and Pakistan, they will not be allowed to cast a shadow on the opportunities for improved bilateral ties. On his return to New Delhi after meetings with Bush and other US officials, the external affairs minister is understood to have told Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and others that the challenge before South Block is not to let Indo-US relations be defined by the differences which exist between the two governments. New Delhi believes that it is fortuitous for India that, according to protocol, it is now the turn of the chairman of America's chiefs of defence staff to visit India. A visit by Shelton to India will send a clear message across the world that the restraints imposed on Indo-US ties after the nuclear tests in 1998 are finally over. This will have a ripple effect on India's military cooperation with other countries. In addition, it will open vistas of cooperation between the US and India in defence matters, some of which were discussed between Singh, in his capacity as defence minister, and his American counterpart, Donald Rumsfeld. In symbolic terms, the guard of honour which was organised for Singh has already sent positive signals along the corridors of the Pentagon in this regard. The meeting between the foreign secretary and her American counterpart will set the ground rules for engagement between the two foreign offices after the change in administration here. The body language at this meeting will be watched with intense interest here. Grossman's predecessor Thomas Pickering was considered an 'India hand', having served as ambassador in New Delhi while the deputy secretary in the Clinton team at the state department, Strobe Talbott, had established a durable equation with Singh during 10 rounds of talks after Pokhran II. Regrettably, neither the new assistant secretary of state for South Asia nor the new US ambassador to India will be in office by the time Iyer arrives here. Senate hearings for their confirmation are yet to take place.