Strategic Dialogue: US state secretary John Kerry to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi

New Delhi, Aug 1: US Secretary of State

is to meet Prime Minister

on Friday, one day after meeting External Affairs Minister

for the 5th India-US Strategic Dialogue..

Kerry is being the medium of first high-level contact of the US government with the Modi government.

On Thursday, the US reached out to the new Indian government promising to partner it in its vision of "Sabka saath, sabka vikas" or "development for all", even as India raised the issue of America's cyber snooping and termed it unacceptable between friends.

Kerry said that Modi's vision is similar to that expressed by US President Barack Obama and that the US private sector is eager to be a catalyst to the India growth story.

The meeting between Kerry and Sushma Swaraj also laid the groundwork for the summit meeting between Obama and Modi in Washington in September.

Addressing a joint press briefing after their over three-hour long talks, Sushma Swaraj said that she had raised the issue of the US cyber snooping and conveyed to Kerry that the people of India were very agitated over the US surveillance activities.

Kerry, in reply, said that the US "fully respects and understands the feelings expressed" by the minister and that the US would continue to work with India wherever they saw a threat to their shared interests.

Kerry arrived here on Wednesday on a three-day visit to strike up the US' first high-level engagement with the Modi government.

With IANS inputs

OneIndia News