India and Italy are
reportedly in secret talks to draw up a 'road map' to end
diplomatic tension over the case of two Italian marines accused
by New Delhi of killing two Indian fishermen during an
anti-piracy mission in 2012, the Calcutta local paper The
Telegraph reported on Thursday.
The case of Salvatore Girone and Massimilano Latorre has
strained relations between Rome and New Delhi and Italy has
taken the case to international arbitration after a long series
of delays.
The daily quoted three senior Indian officials as saying
that the agreement would "require each to agree to key requests
of the other" but that "the negotiations will in no way
interfere with the legal aspects of the case being heard" at the
International Court of Justice in The Hague and "will not
attempt any out-of-court settlement".
If the talks prove successful, India "will not object to
any Italian plea before the Supreme Court to allow Salvatore
Girone, one of the two marines arrested for shooting dead two
Kerala fishermen off India's coast on February 15, 2012, to
return to Italy".
In August the Hamburg-based International Tribunal for the
Law of the Sea stated that India has no jurisdiction over the
case, and put the case up to the International Court of Justice
in The Hague.
The Indian Supreme Court has suspended all judicial
proceedings regarding the two Italian marines in compliance with
the Hamburg court's ruling and is due to reassess the situation
in January.
Girone is not allowed to leave India and is staying at the
Italian embassy in New Delhi.
India granted Latorre leave to return to Italy last year
after he suffered a stroke.
Prior to this, however, Italy will have to "commit to
withdrawing objections to New Delhi's membership to four key
export control regimes - the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG),
Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), the Wassenaar
Arrangement and the Australia Group", The Telegraph reported.
As a member of all four clubs "that control the world's
trade in nuclear supplies, high-end missiles, chemicals that can
be used for weapons and "dual use" technology", which can be
used for military purposes, the newspaper noted, Italy "had in
September vetoed India's membership application to the MTCR."
Another condition laid down by India is that Italy would
need to lighten its pressure on the European Union (EU) "against
expediting trade deals with New Delhi".
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