SRINAGAR: US Ambassador Sergio Gor on Thursday visited strategically important Ladakh, a day after stating in Srinagar that Jammu and Kashmir is an important part of India.
Gor was received at Leh airport by senior Ladakh administration officials and escorted by a large security contingent. During his brief visit, he travelled to Nimmu and visited the Sangam confluence, where the Indus and Zanskar rivers meet.
The envoy also undertook a short river-rafting trip from Tsogti to Sangam, taking in the region’s landscape.
Gor’s visit marks the first trip by a senior US diplomat to Ladakh since 2020. The Union Territory shares borders with two countries and holds considerable strategic importance for India’s security.
The visit is also expected to provide a boost to tourism in the region, which recorded more than 3.30 lakh tourist arrivals during the first seven months of the year. More than 2.12 lakh tourists visited Ladakh in June and July alone.
Earlier, sources said Gor had been sounded out for a meeting with Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in Leh, where the latter spends the summer months. However, there was no meeting with the envoy and the Tibetan spiritual leader.