Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has cancelled a lunch meeting with Joseph Muscat, that was due to be held on Friday in Rome.
Muscat is expected to travel to Italy on Friday, where he will be attending the Mediterranean Dialogues in Rome.
Sources have confirmed that the Italian Premier has suddenly and inexplicably cancelled his business lunch with the Maltese PM.
This newsroom, in the meantime, contacted Conte's office to try and get an explanation.
A spokesperson for the Italian premier said that the meeting was cancelled because of other commitments that cropped up on the Italian PM's agenda.
It is unusual that pre-scheduled meetings between heads of government are cancelled at such a late stage, barely 24 hours before they are due to be held.
Observers said that whereas Conte's official reply is that other meetings same up, it is likely that the one with Muscat was cancelled because of the prevailing situation in Malta. Choosing "other commitments" over a meeting with another head of state is a strong message, the observers noted.
Muscat is listed as a speaker at the Mediterranean Dialogues event
'Malta's International-level humiliation continues'
Reacting to the news, PN MEP David Casa tweeted that "Malta's international-level humiliation continues", noting that this is all so that Joseph Muscat can "continue to obstruct justice".