Restarting Diplomacy between India and Pakistan by Working Through Impasses

For decades, diplomats and psychoanalysts have applied psychoanalytic theories to international relations. Their collaborations have led to the creation of Track II diplomacy, defined as unofficial meetings among people with access to policymakers. Track II diplomacy illuminates psychological barriers to negotiations by clarifying negotiators’ defense mechanisms and communication styles. Track II diplomacy assumes a desire to negotiate, but differences in expectations among negotiating parties can interrupt negotiations. This Perspective suggests that conceptualizing interruptions through the psychoanalytic impasse can introduce novel ways to resume negotiations. I draw on experiences with India-Pakistan Track II diplomacy.