A notable statement has come from Azerbaijan regarding the United Nations Secretary-General position. The Baku administration announced that it views the United Arab Emirates' nomination of Minister of State Lana Zaki Nusseibeh favorably.
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ayhan Hajizada, while responding to a question from local media regarding Nusseibeh's candidacy, stated that they welcome the UAE's initiative.
We welcome the United Arab Emirates' initiative to nominate Minister of State Lana Zaki Nusseibeh as a candidate for United Nations Secretary-General. Azerbaijan emphasizes the importance of a selection process that is in accordance with the UN Charter and based on the candidates' professional qualifications, diplomatic experience, impartiality, and ability to build consensus among member states.
The statement follows reports that the candidacy of Feridun Sinirlioğlu, Turkey's former Foreign Minister and current OSCE Secretary General, for the UN Secretary-General position was being evaluated. For this reason, the positive message Baku sent to the UAE candidate has drawn attention regarding the current state of relations with Ankara.
The UAE announced Lana Zaki Nusseibeh's candidacy on October 21. Nusseibeh served as her country's Permanent Representative to the UN between 2013 and 2024. The search for a new UN Secretary-General is on the agenda due to Antonio Guterres' term ending on December 31, 2026.
BACKGROUND OF THE TENSION
Tension on the Ankara-Baku line had recently escalated due to regulations implemented in the education sector in Azerbaijan and developments regarding reports that students wearing headscarves were not being admitted to certain schools. Presidential Chief Advisor Oktay Saral's criticism of the practice and similar remarks by some AKP figures were met with backlash in Baku.
The Azerbaijani side considered these statements an interference in their internal affairs; subsequently, international arrest warrants and entry bans for certain individuals from Turkey were brought to the agenda. Shortly after, Saral announced that he had left his post upon the instruction of President Tayyip Erdoğan.
In the shadow of this tension, eyes had turned to the 13th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States held in Ankara. However, Azerbaijani President İlham Aliyev did not attend the summit; Baku was represented at the meeting by Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov.
News Source: 12punto
