UN Chief voices concern over India-Italy tensions
January 9, 2015, 7:27 am

File photo of Italian marines Salvatore Girone and Massimiliano Latorre. The incident, in which the marines, hired as private security to an Italian oil tanker, say they mistook the men to be pirates, has been the source of escalating tension between the two nations [Xinhua]

The high-profile case has soured ties between New Delhi and Rome.

The UN Chief is visiting New Delhi and the western Indian state of Gujarat from January 10-13 during which he will meet the Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj.

Ahead of his visit, Ban has called on the two nations to reach a “mutually acceptable solution”.

Ban’s spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told Italian wire service ANSA earlier this week that the Secretary-General is “concerned that the (marines) issue remains unresolved thus sharpening tensions between two important member States.”

The agency quoted Dujarric as saying that it is “important for both parties to try to reach a reasonable and mutually acceptable solution” and Ban “fears the issue could affect common efforts for peace and international security”.

India’s top court last month dismissed a plea by one of the Italian marines facing murder charges to stay in Italy for four more months to undergo medical treatment.

Italian President Giorgio Napolitano said he was “very irritated by the news from New Delhi”, according to a statement from his office.

The two marines maintain that they fired at the fishermen after mistaking them for pirates. The marines had been living in the Italian embassy in New Delhi since then waiting to be tried, and were not supposed to leave the country.

Following international pressure, India dropped a plan to prosecute the marines under a tough new anti-piracy law. Italy says the incident occurred in international waters and that jurisdiction over the marines should lie with Rome.

In April 2012, Rome paid $190,000 to each of the victims’ families as compensation. In return, the families dropped their cases against the marines, but the state’s case has yet to come to trial.

Source: Agencies