Two Italian marines charged in India with killing two fishermen while on anti-piracy duty will not return there from a home visit granted to allow them to vote in February’s election, the Italian foreign ministry said on Monday.
The ministry said India had not responded to Italian requests to seek a diplomatic solution to the case and there was now a formal dispute between the two countries over the terms of the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea.
“Italy has informed the Indian government that, given the formal initiation of an international dispute between the two states, the marines, Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, will not return to India at the end of their home leave.” The two sailors, part of a military security team protecting the tanker Enrica Lexie, were accused of shooting the two fishermen they say they mistook for pirates off the southern Indian state of Kerala in February last year.
The incident has caused a serious diplomatic dispute between Italy and India. India’s Supreme Court said in a long-awaited ruling in January that India had jurisdiction to try the marines but Italy has challenged that decision.
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NSA: Chance of sino-india war slim
New Delhi, March 11: The chances of India and China going to war are “very, very little” as 8,000 years of statecraft is good enough to take care of that problem, national security advisor (NSA) Shivshankar Menon said here on Monday.
“I think very very very little. I assume 8,000 years of statecraft is good enough to take care of that problem,” he said while replying to a question. Mr Menon was asked what are the chances of India and China going to war in another 30 years. Referring to the recently-started maritime security dialogue, Mr Menon said this indicates the growing understanding between them. Asked whether India is alarmed by Chinese naval power, Menon said “We started a maritime security dialogue with China last year. I think that is the answer.” — PTI