New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was denied a visa by a "different government", US Secretary of State John Kerry said. "We will welcome PM Modi and definitely give him a visa," said Mr Kerry in an interview.
Mr Modi this month accepted a formal invitation from President Barack Obama to visit the US next month. This will be his first visit since Washington denied him a visa in 2005 citing the 2002 riots in Gujarat, the state that Mr Modi ruled for 13 years till he took over as Prime Minister in May.
Asked whether the US now felt that denying visa to Mr Modi was a "big mistake", Mr Kerry said, "A different government is a different government. Of course PM Modi will be welcome and will get a visa. We look forward to a terrific meeting with President Obama in September."
When pressed on the visa row, Mr Kerry said, "We are going forward. I won't spend my time looking backwards. We are here to look forward."
The US Secretary of State arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday evening for an annual strategic dialogue, the first engagement with the Modi government that took power in May promising to put India back on a high growth path.
The Secretary of State said he was "excited" about the direction being taken by Mr Modi and his government.
"We are excited about Mr Modi's direction. We are excited about what PM Modi wants to do for the people," Mr Kerry said.
US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker added, "The attitude and tone of the new government is most exciting."
He met with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley this morning and also toured the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology Delhi.
US Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley ahead of his meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for the 5th India-US Strategic Dialogue as the US struck up its first high-level engagement with the Narendra Modi government.
Kerry, who arrived here on Wednesday on a three-day visit, visited the Indian Institute of Technology in south Delhi. Kerry also met National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
The US delegation comprises Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker as well as State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki. Kerry will meet Prime Minister Modi on Friday. On Wednesday evening, he met Indian business leaders ahead of his meeting with the top Indian officials.
According to a background briefing by a senior US State Department official ahead of Kerry's visit, the India-US Strategic Dialogue is to "focus on some of the big priorities that the Modi government have put forward on economic revitalization, on energy security, on homeland security, as well as the robust cooperation between our two countries in science and technology, in space, in skills and education, and in health".
"We see a new government coming in that has an ambitious agenda, what we can do to help that government realize its agenda, because we see India's economic rise as something that is deeply in the US interest. And we believe that American companies have a role to play in that rise, and so part of the discussion over the next two days is really going to be focusing in on what are the shared priorities and shared goals that we want to focus on," the official said.
Kerry and Pritzker will participate in a roundtable with Brookings India that will focus on climate and energy issues.
Kerry, in a signed piece in the Economic Times Wednesday, said that the long-standing partnership between the US and India is on the cusp of "an historic transformation" and that the US will work "hand in hand with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government" to power India's rise economically and strategically.
"India's rise will help the Indo-Pacific region become more stable, more prosperous and more free. The strategic choices India makes on how to grow its economy and promote regional security will directly impact Asia's growth and US interests," the article read.
"As President Barack Obama has observed, America's economy and security will increasingly be influenced by events in Asia. India's economic strength and business environment are, therefore, of strategic importance to both our countries."
"We are coming to India to deliver a single message: the US is prepared to be a full partner in this effort. We will work hand in hand with Modi and his government to promote open and liberal trade and investment, job training and closer strategic ties, he said as he pushed for boosting economic and strategic ties with India," said the piece by Kerry and Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker.
