Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Monday stated that the Indian government does not take cognisance of unofficial Track 2 dialogues involving retired diplomats and military officials from India and Pakistan. He emphasized that these are private events organized by private parties and hold no official value for New Delhi.
Government stance on Track 2 discussions
Speaking to the media in Victoria, Seychelles, Misri responded to reports of Indian and Pakistani experts—including retired military officials, diplomats, and politicians—participating in Track 2 discussions on the sidelines of a regional security conference in Colombo last week. He dismissed the significance of such meetings, noting that dozens of similar events occur worldwide on various subjects.
"As far as we are concerned, these are private events organised by private parties. There is nothing official about them," Misri said.
No official participation or endorsement
The foreign secretary clarified that the government of India has no involvement in these visits. "Obviously, I cannot speak for the government of Pakistan, but as far as the government of India is concerned, there is no official participation, no official support or involvement, in these visits," he added.
Misri stressed that any Indian participant—whether retired diplomats, former military officials, or civil society members—speaks only for themselves and represents their personal views. "They do not in any way, they cannot in any way represent the view of the government of India. So that is the other important thing to keep in mind," he said.
India's lack of recognition for such dialogues
Reiterating the government's position, Misri stated that India takes no cognisance of these events and they hold little value from New Delhi's perspective. "We really take no cognisance of these events. They really don't hold much value, as far as we are concerned," he remarked.
The foreign secretary's comments come amid ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan, with official diplomatic channels largely frozen since 2019. Track 2 initiatives have occasionally been viewed as informal avenues for dialogue, but the Indian government's latest statement underscores its disinterest in such engagements.
