Jerusalem:
Amidst a diplomatic row with India, Italy has said it is on solid legal ground in seeking international arbitration in the case of the Italian marines charged with killing two Indian fishermen.
"We have juridically solid reasons to proceed in the direction of international arbitration," Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi told reporters as he arrived at an international conference being hosted by an Israeli think-tank in the city of Herzliya.
"The Indian government is amply apprised of all it needs to know about our reasons, as do many of our partners," he said.
Italy announced on Monday that the two marines, Salvatore Latorre and Massimiliano Girone, would not return to India to face trial after being allowed to come home to vote in February's general election by the Supreme Court.
The top court had allowed them to go to Italy to cast their vote in the elections there after Italian Ambassador to India Daniele Mancini had given an assurance to send them back.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh warned yesterday that "there could be consequences" and said the government will pursue diplomatic channels to bring the two marines back.
The marines were guarding an Italian tanker off the Kochi coast in February last year when they say they mistook two fishermen for pirates, and shot them.
Italy claims the shooting took place in international waters; India disagrees.