Mark Rutte Appointed as NATO Secretary

He will assume his duties as NATO’s secretary on Oct. 1, when Jens Stoltenberg’s term expires.

On Wednesday, the North Atlantic Council decided to appoint outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the next secretary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

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He will assume his duties as NATO’s secretary on Oct. 1, when Jens Stoltenberg’s term expires after ten years at the helm of the alliance. On June 19, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis officially announced his withdrawal from the race for NATO’s secretary. Consequently, Rutte has gained the support of all 32 member countries.

The Netherlands is a founding member of NATO. The 57-year-old Dutch leader, whose 14-year term as Dutch prime minister is set to end within weeks, will be the fourth Dutchman to head the 75-year-old alliance.

NATO’s secretary is responsible for coordinating the alliance and is one of NATO’s most important officials, alongside the chair of the NATO Military Committee and the Supreme Allied Commander Europe.

???? #Zakharova: 4 people were killed & 144 civilians injured due to the inhuman terrorist attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Sevastopol on June 23.

❌ NATO countries’ officials will cover the criminal Kiev regime to the last & turn a blind eye to its atrocities vs Russians. pic.twitter.com/7U05boeHs0

— MFA Russia ???????? (@mfa_russia) June 26, 2024

On Wednesday, the Baltic countries welcomed the appointment of Rutte as NATO Secretary. Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics said he looked forward to close and productive cooperation in the face of “numerous challenges, especially the Alliance’s defense and deterrence posture.”

Estonian President Alar Karis emphasized the importance of “reinforcing the Alliance, building our collective defense, and ensuring global security” once Rutte takes office. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda noted his expectation of cooperating to “build a stronger and more united Alliance and increase deterrence and defense of the western flank.”

Currently, the Baltic countries are among the largest contributors of military aid to Ukraine measured as a percentage of their gross domestic product (GDP). They have supplied Kyiv with anti-aircraft missiles, artillery, ammunition, training for soldiers, medical treatment, and rehabilitation for the wounded.

#FromTheSouth News Bits | Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova detailed that NATO accused her country of carrying out hybrid attacks against countries of the military bloc to justify the increased militarization of Europe. pic.twitter.com/zMltZ5Ec2A

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) May 7, 2024