West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Jammu and Kashmir counterpart, Omar Abdullah, met in Kolkata on Thursday to discuss closer cooperation in tourism and industry. Abdullah, in the city for the Travel Agents Society of Kashmir’s “Chalo Kashmir” promotion at the TTF Kolkata fair, thanked Bengalis for their support during periods of unrest in the Valley and invited Banerjee to visit Kashmir. Banerjee accepted the invitation and said she would travel to the region after the Durga Puja festival later this year. She urged India’s central government to assure tourists of safety in destinations such as Pahalgam and Vaishno Devi, arguing that improved security is essential for reviving Kashmir’s visitor inflows. Both chief ministers said stronger people-to-people links could broaden economic ties. Abdullah proposed coordinated efforts between the two states in industries and tourism, while Banerjee encouraged West Bengal residents to vacation in Kashmir, noting that the region’s law-and-order situation has recently improved.