Beirut- Lebanese Energy Minister Alain Tabourian boycotted an official visit to Iraq in protest against the way he was treated when he was accompanying Prime Minister Fouad Seniora on his trip to Egypt last week, sources said Wednesday.

Sources close to Seniora said Tabourian had been invited to Baghdad, but that he declined, saying he had other commitments elsewhere.

Tabourian, who is a member of the Hezbollah opposition party, refused to comment on his reasons not to accompany Seniora on his current trip to Iraq.

Seniora arrived in Baghdad on Wednesday for trade talks, becoming the first Lebanese leader to visit Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein.

Sources close to the minister told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa in Beirut that the minister decided not to go on the trip because "he was unhappy about the way he was treated by premier Seniora during the visit to Egypt last week."

The source did not give details, except to say that "the minister's role during the visit to Egypt was marginalized." (dpa)