Good Italian-Indian understanding

(BRUSSELS2) The two Foreign Ministers, Italian, Giulio Terzi and Indian, Salman Khurshid, had a telephone conversation on Wednesday (9 January) on the fate of marines held in India. Salvatore Girone and Massimiliano Latorre who served on the Enrica Lexie have had leave for the end of the year holidays, granted by the Kerala court (see also: The 2 Italian marines free of their movements in India). And despite Indian fears, expressed in the press, they returned to the country at the end of this permission. According to a statement from Farnesina received by B2, the Italian Minister expressed his desire for a " quick and positive conclusion " Of the history. While his Indian counterpart praised the behavior of Italian institutions and marines, marked from the start by " complete honesty and clarity ". For Khurshid, this return of the two Italian soldiers to India consolidated the " climate of mutual trust existing between the two countries.

NB: This displayed good understanding contrasts with the first verbal exchanges between Rome and New Delhi during the arrest of the two soldiers, marked at the time by criticism, acrimony and suspicion. We must not forget that we are in an electoral campaign in Italy and that the case of the two soldiers is a thorn in the side of the government. For Terzi personally as for the Monti government, a release or at least a noticeable sign of an upcoming release would be a point in his credit.