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NT Bureau
Chennai, Feb 11:
 

Madras University Vice-Chancellor S Ramachandran presenting a souvenir of the Senate House to Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi at Senate Hall, University premises, Chepauk, yesterday.

        'I am happy to be back in Chennai. It does not look like the same place that I saw nine years ago, which in itself is a testimony to the growth India has seen in this short period,' said Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi.

        He was delivering a sequicentennial lecture at the Senate Hall of Madras University yesterday to mark the 150th anniversary fete of the institution.

        Italy and India should work together for a multipolar world, even as both countries shared a lot of common interests in the global arena, he said.

        Though the Italian Prime Minister (in his last tenure) did not support India's bid to become a permanent member of the United Nations, the Premier said his country had changed its view now and was looking eastwards to strengthen its diplomatic and economic ties.

        India continued to fascinate Italians and 'our ties with India could be traced to centuries,' he said.

        In response to a question on inflation and the controversial pension cuts that were brought about during his reign, amid widespread protests, Prodi said inflation in his country has come down to 2.8 per cent now, much lower than those prevailing in other EU nations. 'India's fast GDP growth is sufficient reason to believe that you will emerge as one of the world's leaders in the near future,' he said.

        The Italian Premier inaugurated the University's Pirendello Resource Centre for Italian Studies and an exhibition on Ancient Rome and India on the occasion.