SRINAGAR: Hours ahead of US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir, chief minister Omar Abdullah Wednesday morning set the tone for his meeting with the visiting envoy, saying that “our problems are to be resolved by the central government and not by Washington.”“After a long time, a US ambassador is visiting Jammu and Kashmir, and my meeting with any US ambassador is also taking place after a long time. We will talk to him. I would prefer to listen more to what he has to say, but he is also coming to listen, let us see what kind of talks will happen,” Omar told reporters here after an early morning city tour.“Our problems have nothing to do with him. Neither is it my habit that I take my complaints to any other country’s ambassador. Our problems don’t have to be resolved in Washington. They have to be resolved by our own central government. It would be very wrong if I take my complaints to another country’s ambassador. It is not my habit,” Omar said.“I will talk about Jammu and Kashmir and the situation here but I won’t take any complaint to him and I will not seek any solution from him,” the chief minister said.Gor is scheduled to arrive in Kashmir Wednesday afternoon for his first visit to the Union Territory since assuming charge earlier this year. The envoy is likely to hold a meeting with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha also.Gor is leaving for Ladakh on Thursday. However, it is not clear whether he is meeting LG Ladakh Vinai Kumar Saxena in Leh. Sources said that Saxena is in New Delhi and will be returning to Leh on August 22.Gor, who also serves as Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, will be visiting Jammu and Kashmir after he took over as the 27th US Ambassador to India. Though the US diplomats have been regular to Kashmir, the visit is seen as significant in the Valley given Gor’s profile.Former Minister and the People’s Democratic Party spokesperson Naeem Akhtar said that “given that Gor is also the special envoy to South and Central Asia the visit assumes some significance. Especially in the context of Trump’s wholesome endorsement of the recent Pak-Saudi-Turkey defence pact.”In 2024, a delegation of US diplomats, including Minister-Counselor for Political Affairs Graham Mayer, First Secretary Gary Applegarth and Political Counselor Abhiram Ghadyalpatil, met Omar Abdullah, then vice president of the National Conference, at his Gupkar residence. The delegation had also met Peoples Conference leader Sajjad Lone, NC Member of Parliament Aga Ruhullah Mehdi and BJP leader Hina Bhat.
