For the second time in four months, the media has uncovered a visit by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to Azerbaijan, the Nationalist Party said today.

The visits being made by the PM are leading to strong suspicions, and this is because Dr Muscat is choosing to keep them secret. The last time he spoke about Azerbaijan, the Prime Minister tried to give the impression that he did not know whether he was going or not.

Now it results that the PM, together with his chief of staff Keith Schembri, yesterday afternoon flew to Azerbaijan “without informing anyone”, the PN said.

No press statement was issued, and this goes against Dr Muscat’s promise of a transparent government.

The PN also noted that Minister Konrad Mizzi never said how many times he has been to Azerbaijan.

It recalled the minister’s intervention in the purchasing of fuel, and the choice of SOCAR, which cost the country €14 million paid for by the taxpayer in higher fuel prices.

The PM should come clean and say the truth, and explain what his personal interest is in travelling to Azerbaijan without telling anyone. 

In reply, the government said that it has been known for a month that the PM has been invited to be one of the speakers in an international conference which includes the participation of the President of Bulgaria and of former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger.

The government said that the PM is accompanied by journalists from the state broadcasting station.

Meanwhile, informed sources told this newsroom that Mr Schembri is in Malta and not Azerbaijan.