The Hindu : Mufti urges EU to help promote tourism in J&K

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 03, 2003

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Mufti urges EU to help promote tourism in J&K

By Luv Puri

Jammu Sept. 2. Urging European countries to withdraw travel advisories issued to their citizens against visiting Kashmir, the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, today said this would be their greatest contribution in promoting tourism and accelerating the process of normalization in the State.

He made this appeal when a delegation of Delhi-based envoys of the European Union met him here this afternoon. He impressed upon the diplomats the need to persuade their Governments to withdraw the travel advisories.

Sporadic incidents did take place all over the world, as in Kashmir and the atmosphere in the valley was more relaxed now.

The normalisation process had strengthened, notwithstanding some stray incidents here and there.

A number of foreign tourists were visiting Kashmir even for trekking, he said.

Stating that the response to the Ambassadors' Golf Cup held at the Royal Springs Golf Course earlier this summer was tremendous, he urged the envoys to arrange visits of golfers from their countries to Kashmir to help in promoting tourism through sports.

The Mufti said that the visits of the President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Congress chief, Sonia Gandhi, the conclave of 15 Congress Chief Ministers, the visits of 300 MPs in connection with standing committee meetings, the successful conduct of the annual Amarnath pilgrimage in which over 1.54 lakh yatris took part, the reasonably good tourist season and the recently held Inter-State Council meeting in Srinagar had a cascading effect in further relaxing the atmosphere in the State.

The delegation comprised the Ambassador of the European Commission, Michel Caillouet, the Ambassador of Italy, Benedetto Amari, the Ambassador of Ireland, Philip Mcdonagh and the First Counsellor in the Embassy of Italy, E.M. Belleli.

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