After days of diplomatic stiffening, le relations between Italy and India they seem to return to certainly more relaxed levels. Indeed, the Indian government has announced that the Italian proposal to resolve the marines' affair through international arbitration is currently being examined by the executive in New Delhi. The news comes from a letter sent to Monte Citorio by Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj following a question on the marò case presented by the Indian Communist Party: "The matter is currently being examined by the Supreme Court of India - announces the letter – while the Italian government's proposal is currently being examined by the government”.
The stimulus for this declaration has two motives. The first is clearly the decision of the Italian government a few days ago with which our ambassador in New Delhi was asked to leave the Indian diplomatic seat – a move which in the universe of decisions in diplomatic relations looks a lot like an ultimatum; a clear change of course, however, with respect to the Italian conduct in the affair. The request followed the unfortunate Indian response to the wishes of the two Italian Navy riflemen Salvatore Girone and Massimiliano Latorre to obtain special permits (the first to spend the Christmas holidays at home, the second to extend the treatment period in Italy after the late summer stroke).
Secondly, as mentioned above, there is the parliamentary question put forward by the Indian communist party, the Indianp, with which the two MPs MPAchuthan (MP from the state of Kerala) and D.Raja (from the state of Tamil Nadu) requested "if it is a fact that the Italian government has sought a consensual solution to the long-standing affair of the two Italian soldiers accused of the murder of two Indian fishermen in 2012 off the coast of Kerala". In the event of an affirmative answer, then, the two communist deputies asked "at what point is the case today and what is the reaction of the Indian government to the Italian government's proposal on it".
Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone have been held in New Delhi on probation since 15 February 2012, accused of double murder against two Indian fishermen – mistaken for pirates by the two marines. The story has undergone upheavals and changes of course for almost three years of life, but today's news is part of what could be designated as a new course for the definition of the legal and diplomatic - if not political - case. It is, in fact, the first time that India admits that it is studying the Italian proposal for resolving the matter, that of bringing the case to an international forum (through the instrument of arbitration).
This proposal, presented in June but which should have arrived much earlier from the Italian Government, which, moreover, has suffered from a serious discontinuity in the actors accused of resolving the matter: in fact, there are four Foreign Ministers who have succeeded at the head of Italian diplomacy in India.
