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His statement that Jammu and Kashmir is an “important part of India” has drawn a cautious response in New Delhi and ire in Islamabad.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah (left) and U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor at a meeting in Srinagar, India, August 19, 2026.
U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor’s description of Jammu and Kashmir as an “important part of India” has triggered discussion in New Delhi over whether this is an endorsement of the Indian position on the India-Pakistan dispute over the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
“This is the first time that a U.S. ambassador has made a statement like this, which accepts the reality” on the ground, Amitabh Mattoo, professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, told The Diplomat. “No American Ambassador goes to Kashmir without a brief. I think this statement indicates a shift in the U.S. position,” he added.
