United States Ambassador to India Sergio Gor hosted the US Ambassadors Regional Conference in New Delhi, bringing together American Ambassadors and Chiefs of Mission from across South and Central Asia to review regional diplomatic priorities and strengthen coordination on strategic, economic and security issues.

Welcoming the delegates, Gor said it was a pleasure to have all South and Central Asian Affairs bureau ambassadors in India. The conference assembled senior US diplomatic representatives from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined the gathering virtually and praised the work of American diplomats stationed across the region. He stated that the ambassadors and mission chiefs were helping make the United States safer, stronger and more prosperous through their engagement in South and Central Asia.

The meeting highlighted Washington's continued focus on South and Central Asia, a region that remains important for economic connectivity, trade, security cooperation and diplomatic engagement. The conference also came ahead of Rubio's planned visit to Uzbekistan, where he is expected to participate in the C5+1 ministerial framework involving the five Central Asian republics and the United States.

Ahead of the conference, Gor visited Amritsar, where he paid respects at the Golden Temple and toured Jallianwala Bagh and the Partition Museum. Describing the visit as memorable, the envoy expressed gratitude for the warm welcome he received in the city.

The Amritsar visit forms part of Gor's wider outreach across India following his assumption of office as US Ambassador. In recent months, he has also travelled to Srinagar and Leh as part of efforts to engage with different regions of the country.

Gor has additionally focused on strengthening defence ties between India and the United States. During a visit to Rajasthan, he observed Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2026, described as India's largest bilateral defence exercise with any nation, as well as the second edition of the multinational air exercise Tarang Shakti.

Upon arriving at the Mahajan Field Firing Range, the envoy noted that he looked forward to seeing Indian and US troops train side by side. He later praised the exercise, stating that it demonstrated the depth of the India-US defence partnership through increased trust, readiness, interoperability and shared purpose between the two militaries.

The regional conference in New Delhi therefore served not only as a platform for diplomatic coordination across eleven key nations, but also as a reflection of Washington's broader effort to deepen political, economic and security engagement throughout South and Central Asia.

ANI