India can facilitate 'just peace' in Ukraine - Meloni

(ANSA) - NEW DELHI, MAR 2 - Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni said Thursday that she believes India can help broker peace in Ukraine following the Russian invasion after bilateral talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.
    "Modi is aware of Italy's position of giving full support to Ukraine," Meloni said.
    "We share the hope that India, in its role as G20 president, can have a role in facilitating a path towards the end of hostilities and a just peace".
    Modi said that India, which has remained neutral on Ukraine, was "ready to contribute to any project for peace".
    As for bilateral ties, Meloni commented that the two leaders had "decided to raise relations to a strategic partnership because our relations are extremely solid.
    "I am thinking of trade cooperation," she added.
    "We have reached the figure of almost 15 billion euros in (the value of our) trade, doubling the figure in two years.
    "But we are both convinced that more can be done".
    Meloni is being accompanied on the trip by Foreign Minister and Deputy Premier Antonio Tajani.
    After spending Friday in India she will go to Abu Dhabi on Friday and be two days there.
    Before the talks with Modi, she was greeted with a reception ceremony at the presidential palace and she paid homage at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial. Later on Friday Meloni will meet Indian President Droupadi Murmu and give a speech at the opening of the Raisina Dialogue conference. (ANSA).