NEW DELHI: / SRINAGAR: A team of 25 foreign envoys, including the EU envoy to India, are on a two-day visit to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. This is the second team of foreign ambassadors visiting the UT as a part of the government’s outreach efforts following the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5 last year.
The EU envoy’s visit assumes significance as it comes weeks after the European Parliament debated a resolution against the Citizenship Amendment Act.
The group comprises heads of missions of Afghanistan, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, the European Union, France, Germany, Guinea, Hungary, Italy, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Rwanda, Slovakia, Tajikistan, Uganda and Uzbekistan.
The Russian envoy was also invited but declined. Sources in the Russian embassy said the envoy declined as he had no doubts about the prevailing situation in the UT.
The diplomats had to travel to north Kashmir’s Baramulla on Wednesday; however, due to bad weather, their itinerary was rescheduled. The envoys then enjoyed a shikara ride on the Dal lake in Srinagar.
Dominican Republic envoy Frank Hans Dannenberg Castellanos said, “It is a beautiful place and we are just here as tourists.”
Afghanistan’s Charge D’Affaires in New Delhi Tahir Qadiry said he has always wanted to visit Kashmir. “We Afghans claim that we are Mehman-Navaz (Hospitable), but the Kashmiris are definitely so too. Interacted with a bunch of young people here. This girl is a gold-medalist in basketball with very high hopes. Wishing this beautiful valley & it’s people lots of good wishes!,” Qadiry tweeted. Once back at the hotel, the envoys interacted with members of civil society, traders, businessmen, fruit growers, NGOs, Sikhs, students and sportspersons.
The representatives of Kashmir Chambers of Industry and Commerce claimed that they had not been invited. A delegation of politicians, including BJP spokesman Khalid Jehangir and JDU state chief G M Shaheen, also met the envoys. A group of local newspaper editors and journalists met the envoys and demanded the restoration of internet services.
K-report submitted to PMO
Over 30 Union ministers, who visited J&K last month, have submitted their feedback to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on the implementation of various development schemes there, officials said.
The reports were given in a proforma so that action could be taken on the basis of the feedback, another official said. The ministers only spoke about the development initiatives and there was no reference to political issues, the official said.