Sen. Rand Paul invited top Russian government officials to visit the U.S. later this year to continue a dialogue on important national security issues, he announced Monday.

The Kentucky Republican, who is leading a legislative delegation in the country this week, met with Konstantin Kosachev, the chairman of the Russian Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs. That committee is the Russian equivalent of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee that Paul sits on.

“Engagement is vital to our national security and peace around the world,” Paul said in a statement.

“Today, I met with Chairman Kosachev, and we agreed on the importance of continued dialogue. I invited the Russian Federation to send a delegation to the Capitol, and they have agreed to take this important next step,” Paul said.

At the conclusion of the hour-long meeting between Paul and Kosachev, Kosachev reiterated Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claim that his government did not interfere in the 2016 U.S. election.