Fresh batch of foreign diplomats to visit Jammu and Kashmir this week

Diplomats of about 20 countries, including European nations, are expected to visit Jammu and Kashmir by the end of this week, sources said.

According to the sources, a comparatively larger batch of diplomats will be visiting Kashmir in the second round and will include representatives from large and small nations across the globe. The contours of the upcoming visit will be akin to the first two-day visit organised by the government for foreign diplomats on January 9.

Representatives of the Indian government and countries involved in the visit are very tight-lipped about the schedule and planned meetings.

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Those who will be part of the delegation include envoys from European Union, sources said.

Last month, a group of 15 envoys and diplomats including the US ambassador to India Kenneth Juster had visited Jammu and Kashmir for two days where they met security officials, politicians and civil society representatives in Srinagar.

It was the first such visit organised by the government since Jammu and Kashmir’s special status was revoked on August 5, 2019, restrictions on movement and communication imposed, and many political leaders detained.

The external affairs ministry had then said that the objective of the visit was for the envoys to see first-hand the government’s efforts to normalise the situation and “and how normalcy has been restored to a large extent”.