Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni landed in India on Thursday as the country seeks to mend relations damaged by the 2012 shooting of two fishermen by Italian marines off India’s south coast.
India and Italy celebrated 75 years of diplomatic ties this year and India’s Foreign Ministry said the countries would seek to strengthen their security, defense and economic ties.
Ms Meloni, the first Italian prime minister to visit India in five years, will meet his counterpart Narendra Modi during his visit and will also address a conference supported by India’s foreign ministry on Friday.
“Prime Minister Meloni’s visit is expected to strengthen and deepen long-standing ties between India and Italy,” India’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
“The two sides will… strengthen security and defense cooperation, work to build closer economic ties, increase opportunities for talent mobility, and provide strategic direction for continued collaboration in science and technology.”
India’s Supreme Court said in June 2021 that it had closed all proceedings against the two Italian marines for the shooting after Rome paid $1.36 million in compensation.
Salvatore Girone and Massimiliano Latorre, who were arrested in February 2012 for the shooting, said the killing was accidental because they mistook the fishermen for pirates and fired warning shots while on duty on the Italian tanker “Enrica Lexie”.
An Indian court previously barred the Italian ambassador from leaving the country over the shooting, which sparked a diplomatic spat between the two countries.
In another blow to the relationship, India in 2013 canceled a 560 million euro ($596 million) helicopter contract with AgustaWestland, part of Italian defense group Finmeccanica, following a corruption scandal.
($1 = 0.9393 euros)
