BEIRUT: Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk has chosen not to accompany President Michel Aoun on his official visit to France in protest of a recent meeting between Lebanon’s foreign minister and his Syrian counterpart, local media reported Sunday. Although there was no immediate comment from Machnouk on the reports, the minister Sunday blasted the meeting that was held last week between Gebran Bassil and Syria’s Walid al-Moallem in New York on the fringe of the United Nations General Assembly. During a brunch event, Machnouk described the meeting as an “assault” on the office of the Prime Minister.

“I, with all honesty and simplicity, consider the foreign minister’s meeting with Walid al-Moallem in New York at Bassil’s request, an honest assault on the premiership,” Machnouk said.

“And it is a violation of an agreement, a pledge and a promise that Bassil didn’t commit to and that was also a major part of the settlement that was reached.”

Machnouk further elaborated that this action was unacceptable and will not be allowed to pass without repercussions.

“The political settlement [that was reached] that included electing a president and forming a coalition government as well as the policy statement that calls for disassociation are clear and specific settlements that we won’t deny and that we won’t run away from,” Machnouk said during the brunch.

He said that adherence to this policy of dissociation from neighboring conflicts was the only way to protect Lebanon until events in the region unfold.

Citing sources, local daily An Nahar reported Sunday afternoon that the interior minister informed Baabda Palace that he would not be heading to France with Aoun for a state visit beginning Monday. The sources said that the Bassil-Moallem meeting was likely the reason for this decision.

The link to the article was posted to Machnouk’s official Twitter account with the words, “#Machnouk I apologize for not accompanying Aoun to Paris because of Bassil’s meeting with Walid al-Moallem.” The tweet was deleted several hours later after multiple local news outlets picked up the story.

A source close to the President confirmed that Machnouk told Baabda Palace that he would not accompany Aoun to France.

“He informed us that he will not join [us],” the source said. “He said that he will be busy with following-up on the issue of elections,” referring to upcoming parliamentary elections set for the spring 2018.

Aoun will arrive in Paris Monday for a three-day visit, during which he will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron.

A source close to Machnouk didn’t confirm or deny the reasons behind the minister’s decision. “The speech by itself is an answer. It is clear from the speech [made at the brunch] why [he will] not go,” the source said.

Local media reported that as Machnouk was heading into a Cabinet session Sunday night, he nodded a “yes” when asked whether his decision not to accompany the President was related to the meeting.

Bassil’s sit-down with his Syrian counterpart at the U.N. headquarters was announced by a foreign ministry statement released Thursday. The meeting wasn’t well received by some officials given that Lebanon has been officially distancing itself from the Syrian crisis that has ravaged the neighboring country since 2011.

Calls for cooperating with the Syrian government over different matters and the visit of some ministers to Syria have sparked considerable controversy among officials and ministers.

Before entering the Cabinet session Sunday, Minister for the Displaced Talal Arslan said that there are double standards in dealing with this issue.

“There cannot be double standards in dealing with the Syrian regime as long as there is an official relationship between the two countries and as long as there is a Syrian ambassador to Lebanon,” Arslan further explained.

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt also commented on the meeting in a tweet Saturday.

“After a long absence from the screen, Walid Moallem returns,” Jumblatt said, attaching to the tweet a much-circulated photo of Bassil and Moallem during their meeting.