A group of 20 foreign diplomats arrived in Srinagar on Wednesday for a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir to study “the situation on ground” since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government stripped the region of its semi-autonomous status in 2019, reported The Hindu.

Visuals showed diplomats being driven in a motorcade amid tight security from the airport. They were later seen meeting locals in Magam block of Budgam district, where the envoys were briefed about various civic matters, reported ANI.

The delegation is led by European Union Ambassador Ugo Astuto, who is accompanied by French envoy Emmanuel Lenain and Italian envoy Vincenzo de Luca, among others. Diplomats from 24 countries are part of the group.

This includes Ambassadors from Portugal, Ireland, Sweden, Belgium, Estonia. Diplomats from other regions like Bangladesh, Chile, Brazil, and Ghana are also visiting, unidentified officials told The Hindu.

During their visit, the envoys are expected to meet political leaders and representatives of mainstream media, the Greater Kashmir reported. They will also meet the newly appointed District Development Councils members and stakeholders in the hospitality sector.

However, no meetings with former Chief Ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have been included in the agenda thus far, according to The Hindu. Ahead of their visit to the Valley last year, the Ambassadors had asked to meet the former chief ministers, who were all in detention at that time.

Wednesday’s visit comes before Modi’s trip to Brussels for the India-European Union summit in May.

While the Kashmir trip has not been officially announced by India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the European Union’s European External Action Service confirmed that it had accepted New Delhi’s invitation.

“The Ambassador of the E.U. has accepted an invitation from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs to pay a visit to Kashmir. Ambassadors of EU Member States will also join,” Nabila Massrali, EU spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy told The Hindu. “Any such visit organised by the Indian authorities would help to inform the E.U. of the situation on the ground, as part of the E.U.’s wider outreach and contacts.”

India has organised two visits for foreign envoys since it abrogated Article 370 and downsized Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories. The move was accompanied by a harsh crackdown, including deployment of thousands of additional troops, a sweeping curfew, thousands of arrests, and a virtual communications blackout.

Authorities have since eased several restrictions, including the restoration of landlines and internet services. They have encouraged students to return to school and businesses to reopen, but Kashmiris have largely stayed home.

On Tuesday, workers in Srinagar were seen dismantling security bunkers and barricades, especially those dotting the main road connecting the Srinagar airport with the city.

An official told The Hindu that the outreach programme planned for Wednesday “is more extensive” compared to the previous two visits of foreign envoys to the region. “Representatives of the District Development Council (DDC), elected in December last year, will provide a fresh perspective of the ground situation,” another official told the newspaper.

Politicians criticise visit

Peoples Conference leader Omar Abdullah said the visit served no purpose as the delegation will be allowed to meet “only hand-picked” individuals.

“We’ve seen these guided tours in the past particularly, in the immediate aftermath of August 5, 2019,” he told The Hindu. “If this proposed delegation is going to do the same thing, this visit will be as pointless as previous ones.”

On February 13, Peoples Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti had also mocked the government for planning the visit, asking officials how can the security forces ensure the delegation’s safety, when they cannot provide security to the locals.