20-member European envoy delegation to arrive in J&K

SRINAGAR — A 20-member European envoy delegation is arriving in Srinagar on a two-day visit of Jammu & Kashmir on 17th of February.

According to sources, the delegation will visit J&K to access the situation after the conduct of first peaceful election – District Development Council (DDC) – in last thirty years.

The sources said that the delegation will arrive in Srinagar on 17th of February to interact with newly elected DDC members, representatives of political parties, trade leaders, social activists and journalists.

On 18th of February, they will leave for Jammu to interact with DDC members, political parties and social activists about the prevailing situation in J&K.

According to the sources, the tour is being organised by the External Affairs Ministry to project the recently concluded DDC elections in J&K as grassroot level empowerment of local population.

Meanwhile, another group of foreign envoys arrived in Srinagar for a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir to carry out a first-hand assessment of the situation in the Union Territory, six months after the scrapping of Article 370.

The envoys represent over 20 countries, including France, Germany, Austria, New Zealand, Italy and the Netherlands.

Earlier in October 2019, as many as 23 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) arrived in Kashmir on a two-day visit to assess the ground situation after scrapping of J&K’s special status and recorded the feedback from the Army, local officials and various delegations of trade, tourism, civil society.