19 August,2026 09:04 PM IST | Srinagar | mid-day online correspondent
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor with Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah. PIC/X
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, who arrived in Srinagar on Wednesday on his maiden visit to Jammu and Kashmir, said the United States (US) will reconsider its travel advisories for the Union Territory, while describing Jammu and Kashmir as an "important part of India".
After meeting Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Gor said, "It's a pleasure to be here. US will reconsider its advisories on travel to Jammu and Kashmir. This is an important part of India."
The US envoy said he was visiting the region for the first time and described it as an "incredibly beautiful place".
"I am thrilled to be here, thrilled to see this place. We just had a very good meeting. We have some follow-ups, so we hope to take them back to Washington, back to Delhi," he said.
"But a very warm, a very cordial welcome, and we look forward to building this relationship forward," Gor added.
Gor arrived in Srinagar earlier on Wednesday as part of his two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Before meeting Gor, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had said he would discuss the situation in the region with the US envoy but ruled out raising internal issues with Washington's representative, saying such matters could only be resolved by the Central government.
Following the meeting, Abdullah described the discussion as "very good" and said the talks focused on India-US relations, with particular emphasis on what the United States could do for Jammu and Kashmir.
"It was a very good meeting. We had an opportunity to discuss the relations between our two countries but with specific focus on what the US can do with J&K," Abdullah said.
"There are obviously certain legacy issues that over time we will be working to resolve, but we look forward to taking this conversation further," he added.
Abdullah said the engagement would continue between Gor and Washington, as well as between the Jammu and Kashmir government and the Indian government in New Delhi.
"But we are very hopeful and optimistic that the engagement between the US and Jammu and Kashmir will both widen and deepen in the years ahead," the Chief Minister said.
Gor is the first US Ambassador to visit Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
His remarks describing Jammu and Kashmir as an "important part of India" assume significance against the backdrop of the region's political history and separatist activity, particularly during the years when terror violence was at its peak.
Gor's visit comes as the US looks to strengthen engagement with Jammu and Kashmir and the wider region.
(With IANS inputs)
