US Ambassador Sergio Gor (Left), J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah (Right)
Srinagar: J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has sent a pointed message ahead of his meeting with US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, making it clear that he does not intend to seek Washington’s intervention in the Union Territory’s affairs.
Hours before Gor’s visit to Kashmir, Omar Abdullah said that the problems facing J&K were matters for India’s own government to address and that he had no intention of taking his complaints to a foreign diplomat.
“Our problems have nothing to do with him. Neither is it my habit that I take my complaints to any other country’s ambassador. Our problems don’t have to be resolved in Washington. They have to be resolved by our own central government,” Abdullah told reporters after an early morning tour of Srinagar.
The Chief Minister stressed that while he would discuss J&K and the situation in the Union Territory with the US envoy, he would neither lodge complaints nor seek solutions from him.
“I will talk about J&K and the situation here but I won’t take any complaint to him and I will not seek any solution from him,” he said.
Abdullah’s remarks came ahead of the first visit to J&K by Sergio Gor since he assumed charge as the 27th US Ambassador to India. Gor, who also serves as the US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, was scheduled to arrive in Kashmir on Wednesday afternoon and is expected to meet Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
The visit assumes significance given Gor’s diplomatic profile and his additional responsibilities for South and Central Asia. US diplomats have made periodic visits to Kashmir in the past, but the presence of the newly appointed ambassador has attracted particular attention.
Speaking alongside Abdullah in Srinagar, Gor described J&K as “an important part of India” and praised its beauty. He also suggested that the US travel advisory for the Union Territory should be downgraded, saying, “It should be downgraded.”
“I’m thrilled to be here,” Gor said, while highlighting Kashmir’s importance and natural beauty.
The exchange is significant because it places Abdullah’s position in sharp contrast to any expectation that a foreign diplomatic visit could become a platform for raising political grievances concerning J&K. His message was unequivocal: issues concerning the Union Territory must be addressed within India and through its constitutional and governmental institutions.
The Chief Minister also sought to downplay expectations surrounding his meeting with Gor, saying he would prefer to listen to what the ambassador had to say.
“After a long time, a US ambassador is visiting J&K, and my meeting with any US ambassador is also taking place after a long time. We will talk to him. I would prefer to listen more to what he has to say, but he is also coming to listen,” Abdullah said.
Gor is also scheduled to travel to Ladakh. It remains unclear whether he will meet Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena in Leh, as Saxena is currently in New Delhi and is expected to return to Leh on August 22.
The diplomatic engagement comes against a wider regional backdrop. Peoples Democratic Party spokesperson and former minister Naeem Akhtar said Gor’s role as Special Envoy for South and Central Asia gives the visit added significance, particularly amid evolving regional security dynamics.
US diplomats have previously engaged with political leaders in J&K. In 2024, a delegation led by senior US diplomats met then National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah at his Gupkar residence. The delegation also held meetings with Peoples Conference leader Sajjad Lone, NC MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi and BJP leader Hina Bhat.
