Gargash: debate over Lana Nusseibeh's candidacy is legitimate and welcome

Dr Anwar Gargash said objective debate about H.E. Lana Nusseibeh's candidacy for the highest international post is legitimate, adding that the remarks of Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on the matter lacked objectivity.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has been speaker of Iran's parliament since 2020; Dr Anwar Gargash is Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President.

Lana Nusseibeh is an Emirati diplomat who served as the UAE's Permanent Representative to the UN in New York from 2013 to 2024; the UAE has officially nominated her for UN Secretary-General.

The term of the current Secretary-General, António Guterres, ends on 31 December 2026. The Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council.