US envoy visits conflict-torn Manipur, meets CM and Governor

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor arrived in Manipur’s capital city Imphal for a two-day visit on Friday. His visit marks a significant high-level diplomatic engagement at a time when the state is grappling with a humanitarian crisis stemming from the ongoing ethnic conflict in the region.

Gor was accompanied by US Consul General in Kolkata, Kathy Giles-Diaz. Soon after his arrival, the envoy visited the iconic Ema Keithel, arguably the world’s largest all-women market, located in the heart of the capital city.

The place dates back to the 16th century and its name literally translates to ‘Mother’s Market’. Gor interacted with several women vendors here. He also visited Kangla Fort, the administrative centre of the erstwhile Kingdom of Manipur and a key historical and archaeological site.

Following these visits, Gor met Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh at the Secretariat in Mantripukhri. During the meeting, the latter highlighted tourism and allied sectors as potential areas for development and cooperation.

In a post on X, Gor wrote, “Enjoyed hearing from Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh about his vision for Manipur. We exchanged ideas about how the US and India can work together to expand economic ties. The Chief Minister very kindly invited me back for the Manipur Sangai Festival.” In a reciprocal gesture, Singh wrote on X: “It was a pleasure to meet the Ambassador of United States to India, Mr.

Sergio Gor, at my Secretariat today. We had the opportunity to discuss relations between the US and Manipur. I am confident that the engagement between the US and Manipur (India) will strengthen in the years to come.” Later, the envoy met Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at the latter’s official residence.

“Appreciated the opportunity to meet Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla. We discussed the importance of continued US-India engagement,” Gor wrote in another post. The ambassador is scheduled to leave Imphal on Saturday.