Speaking in Victoria, Seychelles, Vikram Misri clarified the Government of India’s position on reports regarding the recent Track-2 India-Pakistan dialogue held in Colombo.
Responding to questions from the media, Misri said such meetings are private initiatives organised by non-governmental entities and have no official backing from the Government of India.
“I have seen the reports. I am aware of them. Dozens of these kinds of events take place in dozens of places around the world on a whole variety of subjects. There’s nothing new, nothing special about these events,” he said.
The Foreign Secretary stressed that India had no official participation, support, or involvement in the dialogue. He added that retired diplomats, former military officers, and members of civil society who attend such meetings do so in their personal capacity.
“They speak for themselves and represent their own point of view. They do not, and cannot, represent the view of the Government of India,” Misri said.
He further stated that the government does not attach significance to such engagements, saying, “We really take no cognizance of these events. They really don’t hold much value, as far as we are concerned.”
Track-2 dialogues are informal discussions involving retired officials, academics, policy experts, and civil society representatives. Unlike official diplomatic negotiations, these forums are conducted independently and do not constitute government-to-government engagement.
