US hails Kartarpur Corridor opening

WASHINGTON: The US on Saturday welcomed the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor, being considered as a new border crossing between India and Pakistan.

"This corridor is a step towards promoting greater religious freedom," the US State Department's spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a video statement. In a short message, Ortagus said that the US sees the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor as a positive example of neighbours working together for mutual benefit.

The Corridor, inaugurated by Prime Minister Imran Khan, allows Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, which is an important Sikh house of worship inside Pakistan's territory and closer to the border with India. "This impressive project will transform a remote, three-acre site across an international boundary," the spokesperson said in the statement while congratulating India and Pakistan on the initiative. She also wished Sikh pilgrims making the crossing for the 550th anniversary of Guru Nanak's birth.