PARIS – Secretary of State Rice took the argument over American ideals and influence to her European critics’ door yesterday, and urged cooperation to move beyond disagreements over the war in Iraq.

“It is time to open a new chapter in our relationship and a new chapter in our alliance,” Ms. Rice told Paris’s Institute of Political Studies as she defended the Bush administration’s foreign policy in hostile territory.

France was the most vocal opponent of President Bush’s handling of the Iraq war, and Ms. Rice did not engender any goodwill in his first term when she said America should “punish France, ignore Germany, and forgive Russia” for their opposition to the invasion.

Ms. Rice chose Paris for the major address of her first tour of Europe as America’s chief diplomat to try to turn the page. She also took questions.

“America stands ready to work with Europe on our common agenda, and Europe must stand ready to work with America,” she said.

She did not back down from Mr. Bush’s call last month in his inauguration speech to spread freedom across the globe, a challenge perceived as arrogant or naive on some European opinion pages. “History will surely judge us not by our old disagreements but by our new achievements,” Ms. Rice said.

Ms. Rice, on the job just two weeks, did not directly address criticism of the Iraq war but repeatedly pointed to what she called the bravery of Iraqi voters who turned out for elections last month despite threats of terrorism.