Weeks of diplomatic bickering between Malta and Italy over illegal immigration last year was instigated by political parties vying for voters’ attention ahead of the European Parliament election according to the Italian ambassador.

It is possibly the first public acknowledgement by a top ranking official in both countries that the bitter feud, which saw some very harsh words being exchanged, was in some way linked to electioneering.

Italian Ambassador to Malta Paolo Andrea Trabalza tells Kurt Sansone that before the start of the electoral campaign “things were being done in exactly the same manner but they were being said in a soft way”.

Dr Trabalza also talks about illegal immigration, Libya and Italy’s request to take over Malta’s search and rescue area, which he says has nothing to do with oil exploration.

Read full interview in The Sunday Times