Borg to meet Frattini as Maroni gives cold shoulder

An Italian junior minister’s threat to drop the underwater interconnector project linking Malta to Sicily will be among the topics to be discussed in a private meeting today between Maltese and Italian foreign ministers.

Foreign Affairs Minister Tonio Borg will hold talks with his Italian counterpart Franco Frattini in Luxembourg as a row rages between the two countries over illegal immigration. The spat escalated when the Italians refused to allow a Maltese patrol boat to enter the port of Lampedusa after having rescued 171 illegal migrants some 32 miles off the Italian island last week.

The Italian Junior Minister for energy, Stefano Saglio, then threatened that Italy could drop the underwater electricity interconnector project over what he described as lack of cooperation by Malta on migration.

The chill between the two countries was even more in evidence yesterday when Italian Home Affairs Minister Roborto Maroni avoided speaking to his counterpart Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici when the two met at an EU ministerial meeting discussing migration. Mr Maroni last week blamed Malta for failing to rescue a boatload of migrants who drowned near Lampedusa in the presence of Italian patrol boats, as the two sides argued over the interpretation of international maritime rules governing search and rescue operations.

He yesterday refused to answer questions about the incident, with sources close to the meeting diplomatically telling The Times that “Sig. Maroni did not have the time”.

Asked for his comments about Malta as he rushed out of the council meeting, Mr Maroni ignored the question and instead focused on his “disappointment” at other EU member states for not sharing the burden of illegal immigration.

“This meeting confirmed that solidarity within the EU is only about saving the banks,” he complained bitterly.

Mr Maroni left the meeting halfway through the proceedings as, according to his delegation, he had to attend other business in Rome. However, his early departure was interpreted as being a snub to other ministers.