India is holding a key G20 tourism meeting in Kashmir amid heightened security and opposition from China.
The working group meeting will take place from Monday through Wednesday in Srinagar, the federally administered territory’s summer capital.
This is the region’s largest international event since India lost its special status in 2019.
The event is scheduled to attract more than 60 delegates from G20 member countries.
China, however, has said it will not attend, citing its firm opposition “to holding any kind of G20 meetings in disputed territory”.
Both India and Pakistan claim Kashmir in its entirety yet control only a portion of it. The region’s nuclear-armed neighbors have previously fought two wars and a brief skirmish.
India, however said, that it was “natural” to hold G20 events and meetings in “Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, which are an integral and inalienable part” of the country.
In the days leading up to the G20 event, India had conducted several security drills in Kashmir.
The region has seen an armed insurgency against India since 1989 – India accuses Pakistan of fomenting the unrest by backing separatist militants, a charge denied by Islamabad.
The region has witnessed increased attacks by suspected militants this year and security officers have told the media that they are taking steps to prevent any threats designed to derail the meet.
Security has also been boosted around the Dal Lake and the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar, which is the venue for the meeting. Several schools in Srinagar have also been closed, some for as long as nine days, according to reports.
India has said it will showcase the cultural heritage of Kashmir and promote its tourism potential during the meeting. Delegates will be taken on sightseeing tours and there will be discussions on strategies to promote “film tourism”, according to an official statement.
The G20, which consists of the world’s 19 richest countries plus the European Union, accounts for 85% of global economic production and two-thirds of its population.
India presently holds the presidency, which rotates annually among members, and will host the G20 conference in September in Delhi.
