'Incredible steps taken for keeping J-K safe': US envoy Gor praises govt in Srinagar
Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah with the United States Ambassador to India Sergio Gor in Srinagar on 19 August 2026.
Srinagar:- The United States Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on Wednesday called the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory “an important part of India" while speaking to reporters in Srinagar.
Gor arrived in Srinagar for a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and met Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
“Everybody here knows I am the US Ambassador to India. And this is an important part of India. I am here visiting for the first time. It is an incredibly beautiful place and I am thrilled to be here,” Gor told reporters after his meeting with Abdullah.
Gor is additionally the United States special envoy for South and Central Asian affairs since August 2025. Describing the meeting as “very good”, Gor said the US would look at its existing travel advisory for Jammu and Kashmir, which currently advises American citizens against travelling to the region.
“The United States puts out travel warnings, and every so often we re-evaluate those travel warnings. I cannot make any big announcements here today, but it is something we’re going to look at,” he said.
Gor also acknowledged what he described as significant efforts by the local administration to improve the security situation.
"New Delhi, the chief minister here, the government here - we believe - have made some incredible steps toward keeping this area safer and making it more secure. And so we will be looking at whether the travel warning that is recommended by the United States is something that should be downgraded," he said,
Gor is scheduled to visit Ladakh on Thursday.
Abdullah said his meeting with the US envoy focused on India-US relations, with particular emphasis on Jammu and Kashmir.
“We had 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 Jammu and Kashmir,” 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.