Giulio Terzi resigns over Italy-India row

ITALIAN foreign minister Giulio Terzi has resigned over his government’s decision to return two marines to India to face trial for the murder of local fishermen while on anti-piracy duty.

Mr Terzi said yesterday that he was stepping down to protect the “honour of the country, of the armed forces, and Italian diplomacy”, during testimony to the lower house of parliament, drawing applause from MPs.

The marines, Salvatore Girone and Massimiliano Latorre, are facing trial in India over the deaths of two fishermen off the southern state of Kerala in February 2012. The marines were assigned to protect an Italian commercial tanker from pirates.

Since the incident, India and Italy have been embroiled in an escalating row.