Italy on Tuesday welcomed the Indian Supreme Court's decision to drop proceedings against riflemen Salvatore Girone and Massimiliano Latorre over the 2012 killing of two fishermen, which have dogged bilateral relations for almost a decade.
"All legal proceedings in India against our two marines have been ended," foreign minister Luigi Di Maio tweeted.
"Thank you to all those who worked steadily on the case, to our indefatigable diplomatic service. This long saga has come to an end."
However, India's apex court said the Italian government must begin criminal proceedings against Girone and Latorre immediately and that Indian authorities would provide evidence in the case.
The permanent court of arbitration in The Hague (PCA) ruled last year that India could not try the two marines for the fatal shootings of the two fishermen off southern India in February 2012.
Italy had argued the marines - who were protecting an Italian oil tanker in international waters - fired on the fishing boat believing the fishermen were pirates after they failed to heed warnings to stay away.
India called the killings a “double murder at sea” and arrested and charged Girone and Latorre with homicide.
