Berri Frustrated by Suleiman's Snub of Mansour during Hollande, Fabius Visit
Speaker Nabih Berri has expressed frustration at the failure of Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour to welcome his French counterpart during a visit to Beirut last week, sources close to the speaker said Friday.
Mansour's absence from the welcoming ceremony of French President Francois Hollande and Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius last Sunday is not right at the level of protocol, the sources told al-Akhbar newspaper.
President Michel Suleiman has the right to hold closed-door talks with his French counterpart but Mansour should have welcomed Fabius in conformity with the protocol, the sources said.
Hollande made a three-hour visit to Beirut along with Fabius on Sunday.
No ceremony was held at the Beirut airport upon their arrival. Deputy PM Samir Moqbel accompanied them to Baabda palace where Suleiman held a red carpet ceremony for his counterpart.
During his short visit to Lebanon, Hollande held talks only with Suleiman and did not meet any other Lebanese official.
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