Italian Minister of Defence Roberta Pinotti met Tuesday with the two Italian marines being detained in India after the shooting deaths of two fishermen during an anti-piracy mission in 2012.
Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone are living at the Italian embassy in New Delhi.
Italian diplomatic sources told ANSA that the meeting was "of a private nature and was motivated by desire to demonstrate the Italian government's solidarity with the two marines".
The next court hearing in the marines' case is scheduled for mid-October, after a delay due to illness on the part of the judge forced a postponement last week.
Rome is seeking international arbitration in the case.
It has argued that because the incident occurred in international waters, it is not under Indian jurisdiction.
As well, the Italian government has asked that the two marines be allowed to return home.
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