US to reconsider travel advisories
Meets CM Omar on his maiden UT visit
Srinagar, Aug 19: US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on Wednesday said the United States would reconsider its travel advisories for Jammu and Kashmir, describing the Union Territory as an “important part of India” during his maiden visit to the region.
Gor made the remarks after meeting Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in Srinagar as part of his two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
“It’s a pleasure to be here. The US will reconsider its advisories on travel to Jammu and Kashmir. This is an important part of India,” the envoy said.
He said the Chief Minister and the government in New Delhi had taken “incredible steps” towards making the region safer, adding that Kashmir’s beauty could attract more American visitors.
“I think a lot of Americans would enjoy coming here and see the beauty that exists here,” the US envoy said
Gor said he was impressed by the region’s natural beauty and described his meeting with the Chief Minister as “very good”, saying follow-up discussions would be taken forward in Washington and New Delhi.
Abdullah said the meeting focused on India-US relations, with particular emphasis on what the United States could do to support Jammu and Kashmir. He expressed optimism that engagement between J&K and the US would widen and deepen in the coming years.
“There are obviously certain legacy issues that over time we will be working to resolve, but we look forward to taking this conversation further,” Abdullah said.
The Chief Minister said discussions on broader issues would take place between the Ambassador and Washington, as well as between the J&K government and the Union government in New Delhi. He said the focus would include expanding cooperation in areas such as tourism, horticulture and the new economy.
According to an official statement, Gor noted the strong appeal of Jammu and Kashmir’s natural heritage for visitors from the United States and said potential avenues to increase tourism and promote travel from the US would be explored.
Gor is the first US Ambassador to visit Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
The meeting was attended by Cabinet Minister Sakeena Itoo, Chief Minister’s Advisor Nasir Aslam Wani, Rajya Sabha member Gurwinder Singh Oberoi and MLA Tanvir Sadiq. The US delegation included Senior Advisor Chester (Brand) Kroeger, Chief of Staff Lisa Browne, First Secretary Gary Applegarth and Political Advisor A. Sukesh.
Gor had arrived in Srinagar earlier in the day. Abdullah had said before the meeting that he intended to discuss the regional situation with the envoy, while making it clear that internal issues could only be addressed by the Government of India.
In a post on X, Gor said they discussed ways to deepen economic collaboration and create opportunities that would mutually benefit both nations.
“Appreciated the opportunity to meet with Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister @Omarabdullah and to learn more about his priorities. We discussed ways to deepen economic collaboration and create opportunities that would mutually benefit both of our nations,” he wrote.
In another post, Gor said he very much enjoyed meeting the Chief Minister.
Later, the U.S. envoy took a Shikara ride in Dal Lake. (With Inputs from IANS)
