The United States ambassador to India Sergio Gor arrived here on Thursday after concluding his trip to Kashmir, marking a key visit by a top US diplomat to the strategic frontier region since the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes and the subsequent military stand-off between India and China.
Gor reached Leh Airport in the afternoon from Srinagar after morning flight operations were delayed due to adverse weather conditions, officials said. The initial delay in his flight from Srinagar Airport had triggered speculation that the scheduled visit to Ladakh might be cancelled.
The visit carries immense geopolitical weight as the Union Territory shares sensitive borders with both China and Pakistan. In May-June 2020, skirmishes in the Galwan Valley had led to a major deployment of troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and heightened military readiness across the high-altitude region.
Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, who spends his summers in Leh and conducts regular religious discourses and meets followers, is also in the Himalayan town but it was not immediately clear whether a meeting between him and Gor would take place.
The US has been maintaining engagement with the Dalai Lama.
Gor, who also serves as the US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, is on his maiden official visit to Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh after he assumed charge as the ambassador to India in January.
Terming Jammu and Kashmir as an important part of India and an incredibly beautiful place, Gor indicated during a joint media briefing with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in Srinagar on Wednesday that the US would review its travel advisories for the region.
-PTI
