NEW DELHI: Leaders of India and the United States will meet at the White House in September amid a flaming row centred on US surveillance of the Bharatiya Janata Party, it was confirmed on Friday, days after Edward Snowden’s revelations were published about the NSA espionage of the rightwing Hindu group.

Extending a formal invitation to Prime Minister Nare­n­dra Modi for a visit to Wa­shington, President Bar­a­­ck Obama has expressed keenness to work closely with him to make the bilateral relations a “defining partnership” in the 21st century. Mr Obama’s letter of invitation was handed over to Mr Modi by Deputy Secretary of State William Burns when he called on him here.

Mr Burns was asked on Thursday if the surveillance issue had figured in his talks with Indian officials. “We’re confining those discussions to diplomatic channels right now, he said. We understand the concerns that have been raised and we’ll deal with them professionally. But we also want to look ahead, as I said, in all the areas of promise in our partnership that I mentioned. That’s very much the spirit of the conversations I had with my Indian colleagues…”

In his letter, Mr Obama reiterated his invitation to Mr Modi to visit Washington in September and to work closely with him to make India-US relations a “defining partnership” for the 21st century, an official statement said on Friday.

While receiving the letter, Mr Modi said he looked forward to a “result-oriented visit with concrete outcomes that would impart new momentum and energy to India-US strategic partnership”, the statement said.

The Indian Prime Minister was of the view that re-energi­sing the partnership bet­we­en India and the US would send an important message to the region and beyond.

Mr Modi said that the relationship between the world’s oldest and largest democracies should not only be for the benefit of the two countries, but “should emerge as a powerful force of good for peace, stability and prosperity in the world”.

Mr Burns conveyed Mr Obama’s desire to strengthen economic relations, including in next-generation technologies and manufacturing sector; cooperate in enhancing energy security; deepen security cooperation, including in maritime security, counter-terrorism and intelligence exchange; expand consultation and coordination on Afghanistan; and, work more broadly for security and prosperity in Asia.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2014