India and Pakistan Hold Informal Talks in Sri Lanka, Government Downplays Significance

Over the past few days, several media reports have claimed that there was only an informal meeting between India and Pakistan in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. The Indian government has said that there is nothing new and nothing official about it. Such informal talks are called Track-II dialogues, which involve people other than the government, such as retired officials, scientists or others, to find ways to reduce tensions between the two countries without any political pressure. When asked about the'Track 2'talks between India and Pakistan in Colombo, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, "I have seen such reports and I am aware of them. There are dozens of such events on different topics in many places around the world. There is nothing new or special about these events. As far as we are concerned, these are private events organised by private parties. There is nothing official in our view."