New Delhi: Even as Italy has decided to
dispatch its Deputy Foreign Minister to deal with the stand-
off over the arrest of its two marines by Kochi police for
killing two Indian fishermen off the Kerala coast, New Delhi
today maintained that it will go by its legal process only.
"We have made it very clear to them (Italy) that as
representatives of India, we will go by our legal process. Of
course, there are differences of opinions.....," government
sources said here, a day ahead of Italian Deputy Foreign
Minister Steffan de Mistura's visit here.
Referring to the telephonic conversation between the
Foreign Ministers of the two countries and subsequent visit by
an Italian delegation comprising officials from their legal
and foreign ministries, the sources said India was willing to
engage and put across its legal process to them.
Observing that the incident was at the stage of
investigation, the sources said if the prosecution feels that
it should go to the court, Italy is free to present any issue
of judicial nature through their legal counsel.
Terming the incident as "a specific incident of suez"
nature, they said it is an incident which, perhaps, has never
happened before in the relationship between the two countries.
"We are trying to come to grips with it and see how we
can move about it," they said, adding India has given the
Counsellor access.
Meanwhile, announcing Mistura's visit, Italian Foreign
Ministry in Rome said he will "continue on a political level
the action so far carried out by a delegation of experts from
the Italian foreign, defence and justice ministries."
The statement also said Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi
will visit India "personally" next Tuesday.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, February 21, 2012, 20:09