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Indian president greets Italian counterpart on eve of Republic Day

Xinhua, June 1, 2015 Adjust font size:

Indian President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday greeted his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella on the eve of the European country's Republic Day that falls on Tuesday.

"On behalf of the government, people of India and on my own behalf, it gives me great pleasure to convey to you and to the people of Italy warm greetings and felicitations on the occasion of your Republic Day," President Mukherjee said in a message to President Mattarella.

Lauding that the bilateral relations between the two countries are rooted in "strong foundations of shared values, democracy and pluralism," Mukherjee said "We look forward to advancing our partnership in various areas of mutual interest."

India and Italy had a diplomatic stand-off in recent years over the arrest of two Italian marine guards who had allegedly killed two Indian fishermen on board an Italian vessel, after allegedly mistaking them as pirates, off the coast of the eastern state of Kerala.

India said the killing took place in its territorial waters and the two marines should be tried in India while Italy claims they should be tried in an international court. Endi