US Ambassador arrives in Leh, likely to meet HH Dalai Lama

LEH: United States Ambassador to India and Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor arrived in Leh on Thursday, marking his maiden visit to Ladakh and bringing renewed diplomatic attention to the strategically important Union Territory.

Gor reached Leh from Srinagar after adverse weather conditions delayed his onward flight. He had arrived in Srinagar on Wednesday and met Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

His arrival in Ladakh assumes particular significance given the region’s strategic location and its sensitive borders with China and Pakistan. The visit is also being closely watched as the first high-level visit to Ladakh by the US Ambassador since taking charge in India earlier this year. Reports have described the trip as part of Gor’s wider engagement with the northern frontier region.

Gor also began his Ladakh engagement with a visit involving the Zanskar-Indus confluence, undertaking a river-rafting expedition from Tsogti to Sangam, according to reports.

The most significant aspect of Gor’s Ladakh itinerary is the reported possibility of a meeting with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, who is presently in Ladakh. According to sources and reports emerging on Thursday, Gor is expected to call on the Dalai Lama on Friday, August 21, in Leh.  The Dalai Lama has been in Ladakh during his customary summer stay and has participated in public and religious programmes in the region.