U.S. Opens New Chapter with Modi's India

WASHINGTON: After shunning him for over a decade, U.S. is warming up to Narendra Modi with a fresh invitation to visit Washington and recalling its envoy headed home four days before he becomes India's new prime minister.

Normally an ambassador's return would not be much of news, but analysts have linked Nancy Powell's abrupt March announcement of retirement after only two years in the job to her perceived failure to read the writing on the wall.

Powell is apparently blamed for failing to contain the Khobragade affair and reaching out too late to Modi following his emergence on the national scene even as America's European partners were making overtures to the Bharatiya Janata Party leader.

Washington's renewed invitation to Modi came in a congratulatory message from Secretary of State John Kerry after his appointment as India's prime minister following BJP's "resounding victory in India's historic national election."

Declaring that the U.S. was "deeply invested in our strategic relationship" with India, Kerry said that Washington was ready to work closely with Modi "and the new government to promote shared prosperity and strengthen our security."

Calling India-U.S. friendship as "absolutely vital," Kerry said he looked forward to returning to India soon and "echo" President Barack Obama's invitation to "Prime Minister Modi to visit the United States at the earliest opportunity."