Foreign envoys’ visit to J&K is an eye opener, saw visible change: Officials

In a vote of thanks, Eritrea Ambassador, Alem Tsehaye Woldermariam remarked that “Change is visible in Jammu Kashmir” and that “Envoys’ visit to J&K is an eye opener and improved the understanding of important issues concerning Jammu & Kashmir”.

A group of foreign envoys said, “they could see a visible change in Jammu and Kashmir” and that the “development is happening”, said officials privy to their luncheon meet with lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha here Thursday afternoon.

Lt. Gov. Manoj Sinha interacts with foreign envoys, who are on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, in Jammu, (PTI)

In a vote of thanks, Eritrea Ambassador, Alem Tsehaye Woldermariam remarked that “Change is visible in Jammu Kashmir” and that “Envoys’ visit to J&K is an eye opener and improved the understanding of important issues concerning Jammu & Kashmir”.

Alem Tsehaye Woldemariam further said, “We can see a visible change in Jammu and Kashmir”.

“The foreign envoys also felt very happy over development, which has started happening in J&K. They also expressed their gratitude to the union government for presenting them an opportunity to visit Jammu and Kashmir,” said the officials.

The envoys evoked keen interest and had a lot of questions on development model and plans of the government for the next two years to achieve it, they added.

“An envoy from Ghana was keen on industrial policy and wanted to know incentives being provided to the industrial sector in J&K,” they said.

Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha told the visiting envoy that years of suffering for J&K people ended on August 5, 2019 with the revocation of Article 370 and 35-A and that “Efforts of PM ushered the UT in a new era of socio-economic development and empowerment of the people”.

“Central government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has drawn up excellent ideas and initiatives of industrialization even in far flung areas of Union Territory so that more jobs could be created for our youth,” he told the foreign envoys.

Sinha also apprised them about an placing an ecosystem of democratic values, welfare principles and economic development in J&K

“Peace, progress, prosperity and people first- that is my vision for development of Jammu and Kashmir”, he said during his speech.

Sinha also informed that that the UT administration was investing more than ever before in infrastructure, industries, education, healthcare, skill development, sustainable livelihood.

“My effort is to create bliss and seeds for flowering of each and every citizen of UT. You can see blooming of development in UT for yourself and fragrance spreading on the winds, I am sure, will be carried to every corner of the earth”, he said.

Later, the foreign envoys had a meeting with administrative secretaries at a hotel here receiving a feedback from them about various developmental and welfare schemes being implemented in the UT.

Earlier the foreign envoys, who were on a two-day visit to Jammu & Kashmir, arrived in the region’s winter capital of Jammu on Thursday at 11.50 AM and met chief justice Pankaj Mithal.

In Srinagar Senior army officers on Thursday briefed the envoys about the role of the Pakistani army in running terror factories across the Line of Control by organising training camps.

They were apprised about Pakistan’s desperation to fuel terrorism in J&K and new modus-operandi of trans-border tunnels, drones, intrusion bids and narco terrorism.

The group includes European Union ambassador Ugo Astuto, and envoys of some 10 European countries, including French ambassador Emmanuel Lenain. Envoys and senior diplomats of Bangladesh are also part of the group.

They returned to Delhi by a chartered flight around 5 pm.

As many as 24 foreign envoys including Excellencies - Juan Angulo, Ambassador , Chile; Andre Aranha Correa do Lego, Ambassador, Brazil; Oscar Israel Martinez Cordoves, Ambassador, Cuba; Katrin Kivi, Ambassador, Estonia; Ritva Koukku-Ronde, Ambassador, Finland; Lukmon Bobokalozoda, Ambassador, Tajikistan; Emmanuel Lenain, Ambassador, France; Brendan Ward, Ambassador, Ireland; Marten Van Den Berg, Ambassador, Netherlands, Carlos Pereira Marques, Ambassador, Portugal; Ugo Astuto, Ambassador, European Union; Muhammad Imran, High Commissioner, Bangladesh; George C. Mkondiwa, Ambassador, Malawi; Alem Tsehaye Woldermariam, Ambassador, Eritrea; N’DRY Eric Camille, Ambassador, Cote d’Ivore; Abdoul Wahab Haidara, Ambassador, Senegal; Klas Molin, Ambassador, Sweden; Vincenzo de Luca, Ambassador, Italy; Dato Hidayat bin Abdul Hamid, High Commissioner, Malaysia; Francois Delhaye, Ambassador, Belgium; Asein Isaev, Ambassador, Kyrgyzstan; besides Sebastian Beliwine, Cd’A, Ghanna; Juan Jose Cortez Rojas, Cd’A, Bolivia; Montserrat Moman Pampillo, Cd’A Spain visited the Raj Bhavan for the interaction.

This is the third batch of diplomats to visit Jammu & Kashmir since the government scrapped the region’s special status in August 2019.