New Delhi: India said Thursday that it was reviewing “all aspects of our relationship” with Italy following a diplomatic row.
The external affairs ministry said this was part of ongoing efforts after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described as unacceptable Italy’s refusal to send back its two marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen.
“We have initiated a study of our interactions with Italy,” the ministry’s spokesman told the media here.
“At the end of that internal process, we will take further action that is appropriate taking into account all aspects of our relationship…”
He added: “Based on that study and as the resolution revolves, you will see our response.”
The spokesman declined to get into why the Italian marines were allowed to go back to Italy ostensibly to take part in the national election.
The Supreme Court allowed that after the Italian ambassador to India promised that the marines would return to India to face the Indian law.
Responding to Italian argument that it wanted international arbitration, the spokesman said Italy would have to abide by the promise it made to the Indian Supreme Court.
“The first step in terms of inter-state relations or international public law is that agreements ought to be respected, and we expect Italy to (do that).”
