Italy says India dispute hurts anti-piracy efforts

United Nations, May 23 (AP) Italy's foreign minister says India's arrest of two Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen they mistook for pirates is having "a very, very negative effect" on international efforts to combat piracy. Giulio Terzi said the UN Law of the Sea treaty is "very clear" that jurisdiction over events on the high seas belongs to the flag nation of the ship involved, in this case Italy. He today said an added factor supporting Italy's jurisdiction is the fact that the ship was part of an international anti-piracy operation authorised by the UN Security Council. But India insists the two Italians should be tried in India because the fishermen died on an Indian boat, and a court in Kerala has rejected their bail application. (AP)