ROME, March 27- Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi resigned on Tuesday, protesting government’s decision to send back to India two Italian marines accused of killing Indian fishermen to defuse the raging diplomatic row, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported, citing a report by a local news agency.
Tersi’s decision came four days after the Italian government reversed its earlier decision not to send back to India, Massimiliano Latore and Salvatore Girone, who faced murder charges for shooting dead two Indian fishermen off Kerala coast February last year.
Italy had first reneged on its assurance to Indian Supreme Court of sending back the two marines but later backtracked after both the Indian government and the apex court stepped up the heat amid New Delhi’s warning of downgrading ties
with Rome. The Italian marines had flown back to New Delhi on March 22 after securing assurance from India that they will not face death penalty nor will they be arrested, bringing to an end the 11-day diplomatic row between the two countries.
Meanwhile, Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid had also said that no deal has been worked out with Italy for bringing back the marines but the government had “clarified” to authorities here that the case does not entitle death penalty. The two marines were serving as security guards on ‘Enrica Lexie’, an Italian oil tanker, when the incident occurred last year.
BERNAMA
