Prince S.A.S. Marcello I, the prince of Seborga, a region in Italy, along with nine members of his cabinet, on Thursday visited Ghaziabad and appealed to the people here to visit his state.
Addressing mediapersons, Marcello said the state of Seborga was a "sovereign state which never signed any treaty with the Italian government".
"For its independent entity, we have approached the UN and filed a petition in a court in Europe but a decision has not yet gone in our favour.
External Affairs Minister Nina Menegatto said: "Our purpose to visit Ghaziabad is to invite its residents. They just have to obtain Schengen Visa (applicable in some European countries). Our state is 45 minutes drive from the Nice Coteazur airport in Italy on the France border.
"Our state is spread over just 14 square km area. Its population is only 320, and is visited by 2,000 tourists (annually). The maximum tourists are from Japan," Menegatto said.
Stating that August 20 was their National Day, the prince said: "We have honorary ambassadors in 12 countries, including India and the United States. We invite all of you to visit and witness our grand function."