Senior Us officials have indicated that any Visa application from Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will be handled as per the US immigration laws.

There are indications that the western countries might be warming up to the Gujarat leader after the British High Commissioner in India James Bevan held a meeting with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in Gandhinagar on Monday to discuss trade and investment between the state and his country.

The meeting indicates that the UK government is looking to end a boycott on trade that was imposed in the aftermath of riots in the state in 2002. UK had refused to grant diplomatic visa to Modi in 2005 following the riots in the state, this had forced him to cancel his visit to the country.

US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns said that the American authorites are aiming to support the interests of American companies in the state. He noted that American companies have interests in the state and also that a lot of Indian-Americans belong to the state.

"Well, I mean, the question has often arisen about, Mr Modi's potential application for visas, for example, to come to the US. And you know, the truth is I can't comment on individual visa applications. You know, those get handled, according to US immigration law at the time there's an application," said Burns.

John Sifton, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch said that the UK had maintained a cold-shoulder policy with Modi until recently and the US will continue to maintain such a policy.