US envoy Sergio Gor explores Ladakh, takes rafting ride at Nimmu
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor arrived in Leh on Thursday and undertook a rafting adventure at the confluence of the Zanskar and Indus rivers, marking a significant visit by a senior US diplomat to Ladakh since the India-China military standoff of 2020.
Shortly after landing in Leh, Gor travelled to Sangam at Nimmu and participated in river rafting along the Zanskar-Indus stretch, covering several kilometres from Tsogti, officials said.
Ladakh was detached from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 and made a separate Union Territory (UT) when Article 370 was abrogated by the Modi government.
Gor, who also serves as the US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, is on his maiden official visit to Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh after he assumed charge as the ambassador to India in January.
He reached Leh Airport in the afternoon from Srinagar after morning flight operations were delayed due to adverse weather conditions, officials said.
The visit carries immense geopolitical weight as the UT shares sensitive borders with both China and Pakistan.
The US envoy is likely to meet LG VK Saxena before returning to New Delhi.
Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, who spends his summers in Leh and conducts regular religious discourses and meets followers, is also in Leh but it was not immediately clear whether a meeting between him and Gor would take place.
Terming Jammu and Kashmir as an important part of India and an incredibly beautiful place, Gor indicated during a joint media briefing with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in Srinagar on Wednesday that the US would review its travel advisories for the region.
Omar on Thursday reacted to Pakistan summoning the US chargé d’affaires in Islamabad over remarks by Sergio Gor, describing Jammu and Kashmir an important part of India.
Omar told reporters in Srinagar “This is between Pakistan and the US. Neither you nor I can do anything here”.
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said, “Before 2019, whenever any Ambassador would come here, they would meet people from every section of society. After 2019, foreign dignitaries’ tours are curated. They met only the Chief Minister and the Governor, took a shikara ride, and left. I agree with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s statement that the problems of Jammu and Kashmir cannot be solved by America. This task will have to be done by New Delhi. Thousands of our people are imprisoned, and our people are being fired from jobs every day. There is a suffocating atmosphere in Jammu and Kashmir”, she added.