NATO appoints outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as its next secretary-general

AP
Netherlands' Prime Minister Mark Rutte reacts during a press conference at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, on April 17, 2024. NATO's 32 nations on June 26, 2024 appointed departing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the alliance's next head, at a vital time with Russia waging war in Ukraine. (AFP)
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BRUSSELS: NATO appointed Mark Rutte as its next secretary-general on Wednesday, putting the outgoing Dutch prime minister in charge of the world’s biggest security organization at a critical time for European security as war rages in Ukraine.
Rutte’s appointment was sealed by NATO ambassadors during a meeting at the 32-nation alliance’s headquarters in Brussels. US President Joe Biden and his counterparts will formally welcome him to their table at a summit in Washington on July 9-11.
The outgoing Dutch premier will take over from the current secretary general, Norway’s Jens Stoltenberg, on Oct. 1. Stoltenberg spent more than a decade at the helm. His mandate was repeatedly extended, in part to provide continuity after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Topics: NATO Mark Rutte