Colombo, Feb 2 (IANS): Sri Lanka's new government Monday said it is keen to work more closely with the US on various issues.

External Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera made the remarks after meeting US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Biswal here, Xinhua reported.

Samaraweera also said he would travel to Washington next week for talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry and invite him to visit the island.

Biswal told reporters after meeting Samaraweera that Kerry was looking forward to his meeting with Samaraweera and was ready to assist Sri Lanka to address issues of human rights and good governance.

A major diplomatic rift had emerged between the US and Sri Lanka during the previous government, headed by Mahinda Rajapakse, over the island nation's human rights record.

The US last year sponsored a resolution against Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

The resolution mandated a UN-led investigation into the war in Sri Lanka and a report on the investigation is scheduled to be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council in March.

The dispute focused on possible war crimes that occurred during the final phase of Sri Lanka's civil war against the Tamil Tigers, with the US pressing for an independent probe into the alleged war-time atrocities.

The previous government had denied any wrongdoing and had rejected calls for an international inquiry.

The new Sri Lankan government led by President Maithripala Sirisena is looking at mending ties with the US by launching a fresh domestic investigation into the war that meets international expectations.