US Senator and former presidential candidate John McCain arrived in Srinagar on Tuesday on a two-day “familiarisation” visit of Kashmir
Valley. He is being accompanied by foreign policy advisors Christian Brose and Vance Serchuk (HSGAC) and Lt. Lawrence Heyworth, USN, military
Escort, besides some officials of the US embassy, New Delhi.
Soon after his arrival here from New Delhi by a special aircraft, Mr McCain met governor N.N. Vohra at Raj Bhavan overlooking world famous Dal
Lake. “During their wide-ranging discussions lasting for about two hours, Mr McCain and the governor exchanged views on various important issues of
mutual interest,” an official statement said.
The governor hosted lunch for Mr McCain and other members of the US delegation. Lt. Gen. K.T. Parnaik, the GOC-in-Chief of the Northern Army
Command, and Lt. Gen. S.A. Hasnain, Corps Commander of Srinagar-based 15 Army Corps, were also present on the occasion.
Later the US senator and other members of the delegation called on chief minister Omar Abdullah at his official residence. Before their meeting, Mr
Abdullah tweeted, “Am curious to see what his visit is about.”
An aide of the chief minister said that the meeting lasted for about an hour during which “familiar issues” came up for discussion. f