Senior US State Dept. Official To Visit India Next Week Amid Rising Kashmir Tensions

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th August, 2019) US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan will visit New Delhi next week to meet with Indian Minister of External Affairs Jaishankar to advance the partnership between the two countries, the State Department said.

"Sullivan will travel to Thimphu, Bhutan and New Delhi, India August 11-17 to advance the United States' partnership with two nations that are critical to preserving the rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region," the release said on Thursday

Earlier this week, the Indian government announced its decision to strip Jammu and Kashmir of its special status and split it into two union territories.

Pakistan, in response, has threatened to downgrade diplomatic relations and suspend trade with India.

Earlier, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus indicated that the topic of Jammu and Kashmir could come up during Sullivan's visit.

Jammu and Kashmir is part of a larger Kashmir region, disputed between India and Pakistan. Although a ceasefire was reached in 2003 after several armed conflicts, instability has continued, leading to the emergence of various extremist groups.