Statement from Stoltenberg on the new NATO Secretary General: ‘I believe Mark Rutte is a very strong candidate

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that allies are very close to reaching a decision on the new NATO Secretary General, saying, ‘I think Mark Rutte is a very strong candidate.’ NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, during his official visit to the U.S., held a joint press conference with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Stoltenberg mentioned that allies are very close to making a decision on the new NATO Secretary General, stating, ‘It is clear that we are very close to reaching a conclusion within the alliance on who the next Secretary General will be. I think this is good news. I believe Mark Rutte is a very strong candidate. He has a lot of experience as Prime Minister, he is a close friend and colleague of mine, and therefore I believe the alliance will soon decide on my successor, and I think this will be good for all of us, and for NATO.’ The selection of the Secretary General in NATO is made by consensus, therefore any candidate needs the support of all 30 allies. Due to the candidacy of Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, Romania opposes Rutte’s candidacy. Stoltenberg will step down from the Secretary General position in October after serving for about a decade.