Will Work Very Closely With Next Indian PM: U.S.

NEW YORK: The U.S. has said it looks forward to working closely with "whoever is the next Prime Minister of India", comments that could be interpreted as Washington warming up to Narendra Modi if he is elected.

"We look forward to continuing to work with India on a whole range of issues with whoever is in the next Indian government, whoever is a part of that government," Department of State's Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf said in response to a question on how the U.S. hopes to engage with India if the new Indian government is led by BJP's Narendra Modi.

To another question on whether the U.S. will invite Modi if he becomes the Prime Minister and how his visa issue will be solved, Harf said, "We will work very closely with whoever is the next Prime Minister of India. I can guarantee that. I am sure we will have meetings here."

The U.S. had denied Modi a visa in 2005 on the ground of alleged human rights violations after the 2002 Gujarat riots.

The U.S. is "going to keep working together (with India)" on a host of issues, "whoever the winner (of the election) ends up being...We will continue watching the (election) process and we will wait and see," she said in a digital video conference briefing on U.S. foreign policy update.

She said the U.S. will "wait and see what the results of the elections are" and "we will talk more at the end of the election process."