Egypt has nominated former foreign minister Ahmed Aboul-Gheit to succeed Nabil El Arabi for the position of Arab League (AL) secretary-general in 2016, Shorouk newspaper reported on Saturday. El Arabi, whose term as secretary-general of the AL is set to end next year, is reportedly not willing to renew his tenure. Aboul-Gheit served as foreign minister from July 2004 until March 2011 following the overthrow of former President Hosni Mubarak. The move comes ahead of the 2015 Arab Summit, which is set to take place on the 28th and the 29th of March in Egypt's coastal city Sharm El-Sheikh. A source told Shorouk that Egypt has already informed Arab foreign ministers about their intention to nominate Aboul-Gheit to succeed El-Arabi. It is believed that Aboul-Gheit's candidacy will be approved by Arab states, and especially those in the Gulf, due to his stance on fighting terrorism and Iran. The source also ruled out that the new secretary-general would be officially decided upon during the Arab Summit, though he said that this might happen during the 2016 summit. It was mentioned that El Araby insisted on leaving the office at the end of his current term because of the criticism the Arab League has faced lately. An Arab diplomat said that the secretary-general might not wait for next year especially since that in 2014 he requested exemption from the position. Source: Ahram Online
