Govt to take 15 foreign envoys on two-day visit to J&K today, EU excluded

New Delhi: European diplomats wanted to visit Jammu and Kashmir as a group, which was not possible to accommodate due to "restrictions in numbers and to keep the group broad-based", sources told ANI.

The sources deemed the reports of European Union diplomats not being part of the group of envoys visiting Jammu and Kashmir due to restrictions in the program, as "unfounded" and "mischievous".

A group of around 15 foreign envoys based in New Delhi will be taken to the Jammu and Kashmir on January 9-10 to see first-hand the efforts being made by the Government in the region, sources said.

It includes envoys mainly from Latin American and African countries. They will meet civil society leaders and will be briefed on the security situation by the Army and intelligence services.

Some EU Ambassadors conveyed that the visit was taking place at short notice to seek instructions from Head Quarters so it was therefore decided that a Group of EU Ambassadors will undertake a trip to Jammu and Kashmir at a later date, the sources added.

"Reports that the European Union (EU) Ambassadors aren't part of the group of envoys visiting Jammu and Kashmir due to restrictions in prog are unfounded and mischievous. We wanted to take a global group of envoys to Jammu and Kashmir with only some EU Ambassadors, and not all EU envoys were asked to join," the sources stated.

"European Union (EU) envoys wanted to visit Jammu and Kashmir as a group, which wasn't possible to accommodate due to restrictions in numbers and to keep the group broad-based. Some EU Ambassadors conveyed that the visit was taking place at short notice to seek instructions from Head Quarters," it added.

Last year a delegation comprising members of the European Parliament had visited the Valley after the abrogation of Article 370.