Describing Kashmir as an “important part of India”, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, who arrived here on Wednesday on his maiden visit since assuming charge earlier this year, hinted that the US would re-evaluate its travel advisory for Kashmir.Gor held a meeting with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. He will head for Ladakh on Thursday.After meeting Omar, Gor told reporters that Kashmir was an important part of India and he was visiting it for the first time.“We just had a very good meeting and we have some follow-ups that we hope to take back to Washington and back to Delhi…we look forward to moving this relationship forward,” he said.He said the US “puts out travel warnings and re-evaluates these from time to time.”“I cannot make any big announcements here today, but it is something we’re going to look at,” Gor said.Noting that New Delhi and the J&K Government had “taken some incredible steps to make the area safer”, Gor said the US would evaluate whether to downgrade its current travel warning to the “beautiful area”.“I think a lot of Americans will enjoy visiting and experiencing the beauty and opportunities that exist here,” he said.At present, the US maintains a “do not travel” advisory for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It asks its citizens no not to travel to this area except for visits to the Ladakh region and its capital, Leh, due to “terrorism and civil unrest”.Gor took a “shikara” ride at the Dal Lake for about an hour. He was accompanied by his security personnel and officials from the US Embassy.Talking to reporters, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the meeting was “an opportunity” to discuss the relations between the two countries.“There are obviously certain legacy issues that over time we will be working to resolve, but we look forward to taking this conversation further. This is a conversation that will take place both between Ambassador Gor and Washington, and between me and the Government of India in New Delhi,” he said.“But we are very hopeful and optimistic that the engagement between the US and Jammu and Kashmir will widen and deepen in the years ahead,” he said.Omar also took to X to share the conversation “about the possibilities that exist to widen and deepen the engagement between J&K and the US, particularly in areas such as tourism, horticulture and the new economy”.Following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, the Centre had facilitated a visit by a group of foreign envoys to Jammu and Kashmir. The then US Ambassador, Kenneth Juster, was also part of the delegation.In 2024, a US diplomatic delegation met several political leaders in Kashmir ahead of the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, which were held after a gap of several years.