UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson's renowned outspokenness may have rubbed off his Maltese counterpart George Vella, comments caught on camera suggest.
"Let's have a handshake," Dr Vella can be heard telling Mr Johnson as camera shutter an flashes go off, "[and] get rid of these people."
The "people" Malta's Foreign Minister was referring to were the various journalists who had flocked to Dr Vella's Palazzo Parisio office in Valletta to document his brief meeting with Mr Johnson.
The conversation snippet caught on camera can be heard at the 30 second mark in the above video.
Mr Johnson, who is in Malta for a brief visit to discuss Brexit-related issues in the context of Malta's presidency of the EU, told the local press that he often looks at Dr Vella's speaking notes at EU meetings, and finds them very useful.
Here's hoping Dr Vella's overheard faux pas was unscripted.
