Fifteen foreign envoys are paying a two-day visit to the northern Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir to see first-hand efforts by the Indian government and local authorities to normalize the situation in the area, the Indian foreign ministry's spokesman said on Thursday
NEW DELHI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th January, 2020) Fifteen foreign envoys are paying a two-day visit to the northern Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir to see first-hand efforts by the Indian government and local authorities to normalize the situation in the area, the Indian foreign ministry's spokesman said on Thursday.
"A group of 15 foreign envoys to New Delhi are on a two-day visit to the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir on January 9-10. The visit is being facilitated by the Indian government," Raveesh Kumar said, adding that envoys are from the US, South Korea, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Fiji, the Maldives, Norway, the Philippines, Morocco, Argentina, Peru, Niger, Nigeria, Guyana and Togo.
The spokesman also said that the group had held a series of meetings during the first day, including ones with security officials to understand what the main challenges to safety in the union territory were. Envoys also met with members of civil society and local media, as well as a group of political leaders.
"The objective of the visit is for the envoys to see the efforts being made by the government to bring the situation to normal and see first-hand the impact of series of steps taken by the local administration to normalize the situation in recent weeks. The program was drawn up keeping in mind the threat posed by terrorism and taking adequate precautions for security," Kumar added.
The spokesman also said that the trip was organized after receiving relevant requests from some of the envoys. He pointed out that similar visits in the future would be organized after assessments of the security situation in the region are made by the local administration.
In late October, the then-state of Jammu and Kashmir was officially striped of its autonomy was split into two union territories that are now under the government's control. This resulted in increased tensions with neighbor Pakistan, whose claims to the greater Kashmir region has resulted in conflict with India over the last half-century.
