US Ambassador Sergio Gor terms J&K ‘important part of India’ during first Srinagar visit
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on Wednesday described Jammu and Kashmir as an “important part of India” during his first visit to Srinagar since the abrogation of Article 370, making a significant statement on the status of the Union Territory. His statement came shortly after meeting Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
“As everybody knows, I’m the US Ambassador to India, and this is an important part of India. And so I’m here visiting for the first time. It is an incredibly beautiful place, and so I’m thrilled to be here,” he said with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah by his side.
Later in a post on X, Gor said his discussions with Abdullah focused on the chief minister’s priorities for Kashmir and ways to expand economic cooperation between India and the United States.
He wrote on X; “Very much enjoyed meeting Hon. Chief Minister @OmarAbdullah. 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”.
Gor is also scheduled to meet Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and will fly to Ladakh on Thursday.
After meeting the US Ambassador, Omar Abdullah wrote on X; “It was a pleasure to receive @USAmbIndia Sergio Gor in Srinagar today. We had a very good conversation about the possibilities that exist to widen & deepen the engagement between J&K & the United States of America, particularly in areas like tourism, horticulture & the new economy. I look forward to continuing this engagement & taking our conversation forward”.
Gor’s visit marks the first meeting between a serving US ambassador and a sitting Jammu and Kashmir chief minister in more than 15 years. The last such meeting took place in 2011, when then US Ambassador Timothy Roemer met Omar Abdullah.
The last standalone visit to Kashmir by a serving US envoy was made by Kenneth Juster in 2018, shortly after the PDP-BJP coalition government collapsed in the erstwhile state.
Gor’s visit therefore marks a renewed direct engagement between a senior US diplomatic representative and the elected government of Jammu and Kashmir.
Earlier in the morning, Omar Abdullah told reporters in Srinagar that he will discuss the situation in the region with visiting US Ambassador Sergio Gor, but ruled out raising internal issues with Washington’s representative, saying only the central government can resolve those issues.
“It is after a very long time that a US ambassador is visiting Jammu and Kashmir. For me personally, it has been a long time since I met any American ambassador. Let him come; we will sit and talk,” Omar said.
The chief minister, however, said he would prefer to listen more to the ambassador even as “he (Gor) is also coming to listen”. “Let’s see what kind of conversation takes place when he comes to meet this afternoon,” he added.
Omar said the issues facing J&K have no direct bearing with the US, as the resolution to the issues of the Union Territory will not come from Washington but from the central government.
“It has never been my habit to lodge complaints about my country to an ambassador of another country. The resolution to our issues will not come from Washington; the resolution to our problems lies with our central government”.
“So, I believe it would be very inappropriate to complain about our country to an ambassador of another country. That is not my habit,” he added.
The CM said he would certainly discuss Jammu and Kashmir and “our current situation, but I will neither complain nor seek solutions to our grievances from them”.