America renews invitation to Modi,Powell leaving India today

New Delhi, 22 May, 2014

Washington’s renewed invitation to Modi came in a congratulatory message Tuesday 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.”

“The United States stands ready to work closely with Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi and the new government to promote shared prosperity and strengthen our security. The friendship between the world’s oldest democracy and the world’s largest democracy is absolutely vital, and the United States is deeply invested in our strategic relationship,” Secretary of State, America John Kerry said in a statement hours after Modi was formally elected as the Prime Minister on Tuesday.

Kerry added that he looked forward to returning to India soon and “echo President Obama’s invitation to Prime Minister Modi to visit the United States at the earliest opportunity.”

Nancy Powell leaving India before Modi’s oath

US Ambassador to India Nancy Powell will leave New Delhi on May 22, four days before Narendra Modi takes oath as the Prime Minister. Powell, 67, who announced ending of her tenure in India in March, would be replaced temporarily by Kathleen Stephens, the former US Ambassador to South Korea. Stephens will serve as the charge until a new permanent ambassador is nominated and confirmed by the US Senate, State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters. Obama has not nominated anyone for this important diplomatic posting.

Stephens is expected to arrive in New Delhi early June.

“Ambassador Kathleen Stephens will serve as the charge until a new permanent ambassador is nominated and confirmed by the Senate,” Psaki said.

“Stephens is a career foreign service officer with the rank of career minister. She was US ambassador to South Korea from 2008 to 2011 and previously served in senior positions in Washington, Asia and Europe. She will arrive in Delhi in early June and look forward to working closely with the new government of India on a range of issues,” Psaki said.

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.

Obama’s invitation to “candidate Modi” in a congratulatory call last Friday finally ended Washington’s boycott of the BJP leader, whose US visa was revoked in 2005 over his alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat riots.