Srinagar, Aug 19: United States Ambassador Sergio Gor on Wednesday described Jammu and Kashmir as “an important part of India” during his first visit to the Union Territory.
Gor, who also serves as President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, made the remarks after a meeting with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at the latter’s Gupkar residence.
Standing alongside Abdullah, he told reporters: “As everybody here knows, I am 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 I am thrilled to be here.”
The two-day visit to J&K and Ladakh is the first standalone trip by a serving US ambassador to J&K and Ladakh since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 and the reorganisation of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories.
It is also the first such engagement after the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 tourists were killed, and India’s subsequent Operation Sindoor.
The last meeting between a serving US ambassador and a sitting J&K CM took place in 2011, when Timothy Roemer called on Omar Abdullah.
The last standalone visit by a US envoy was by Kenneth Juster in 2018.
Gor described the interaction as “very warm” and “very cordial.”
In a post on X, he said he had appreciated the chance to learn about CM Omar’s priorities.
“We discussed ways to deepen economic collaboration and create opportunities that would mutually benefit both of our nations,” he said.
One of the most closely watched remarks concerned the US travel advisory.
The State Department currently maintains a Level 4 “do not travel” warning for J&K (except eastern Ladakh and Leh), citing terrorism and civil unrest.
The advisory has long been a concern for the J&K administration as it seeks to attract more international tourists.
Gor indicated Washington would examine whether it should be downgraded.
“The United States puts out travel warnings. And every so often we re-evaluate travel warnings. I cannot make any big announcements here today, but it is something we are going to look at,” he said.
Gor credited New Delhi, CM Omar, and the J&K government with having “made some incredible steps toward keeping this area safer and making it more secure.”
“So we will be looking at whether the travel warning that is recommended by the United States is something that should be downgraded. This is a beautiful area. I think a lot of Americans would enjoy coming here and seeing the beauty and the opportunities that exist here,” he said.
No formal change was announced.
Officials said that any revision would follow a standard review process in Washington.
A team of US diplomats from the embassy in New Delhi had called on National Conference President Farooq Abdullah a day earlier as part of preparations for the visit.
Kashmir’s chief cleric, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, welcomed the ambassador’s arrival and expressed hope that he would engage with a broad cross-section of people.
PDP President Mehbooba Mufti urged Gor to review and withdraw the travel advisory, describing it as a barrier for families dependent on tourism.
Gor’s comments, particularly the explicit description of J&K as an important part of India, are being viewed in New Delhi and Srinagar as a notable diplomatic signal amid Pakistan’s continued claims on the region.
The visit comes as India-US strategic ties have deepened, including in defence and intelligence sharing following earlier tensions along the Line of Actual Control.
The ambassador’s Ladakh leg on Thursday will mark another first: the first visit there by a US ambassador since the 2020 Galwan clashes.
