No headway in India-Italy talks over fishermen’s killing

The foreign ministers of India and Italy, S M Krishna and Giulio Maria Terzi di Sant' Agata, met on Tuesday ''to clear the air'' on the killing of two Indian fishermen by two Italian navy guards off Kerela coast on 15 February; but no real headway was made as both sides stuck to their stands.

Expectations of a compromise were raised after the Kerala High Court earlier in the day asked the owner of Italian cargo vessel Enrica Lexie and the families of the two slain fishermen whether they were willing for an out-of-court settlement for compensation.

However, the differences remained unresolved, with Terzi admitting after the meeting that a ''difference of opinion'' between the two sides remains over territorial jurisdiction. India insists that the trigger-happy marines be tried under Indian law as the incident took place in its waters; while Italy insists that it happened in international waters, and hence they should be repatriated to Italy.

Acknowledging that there is ''very strong public opinion'' on both sides, Krishna told a media gathering jointly addressed by the two sides, "Minister Terzi and I agreed that we need to clear the air so that people in both countries are reassured of our will and commitment to strengthen our partnership.

"We are of the view that our relations are mature and based on strong foundations. This gives us the ability to address challenges together."

The Italian foreign minister, who came here close on the heels of the visit of his deputy, regretted the deaths but admitted that differences of opinion persisted with India on the issue.