The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member countries confirmed on July 4 that current Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will remain in office for another year. The announcement came after the alliance failed to settle on a candidate for the leadership position.
“Honoured by #NATO Allies’ decision to extend my term as Secretary General until 1 October 2024,” Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter.
“The transatlantic bond between Europe & North America has ensured our freedom & security for nearly 75 years, and in a more dangerous world, our Alliance is more important than ever.”
There were several frontrunners for the future Secretary General, including Britain’s Defense Minister Ben Wallace, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
As the United States is the principal driving force within the alliance, candidates required its support. However, the Biden administration has shown little enthusiasm for alternative candidates for the position.
President Joe Biden issued a statement welcoming the announcement.
“I welcome the announcement that NATO will extend Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s term for an additional year. With his steady leadership, experience, and judgement, Secretary General Stoltenberg has brought our Alliance through the most significant challenges in European security since World War II,” Biden stated.
“Today, our Alliance is stronger, more united and purposeful than it has ever been. I look forward to continuing the work with Secretary General Stoltenberg to further strengthen the Alliance next week at the NATO Summit in Vilnius, and ahead of the 75th Anniversary NATO Summit in Washington, D.C. next year.”
Leaders from NATO countries will gather next week in Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, to discuss critical global security issues. The summit, scheduled for July 11–12, will bring together heads of state, military officials, and diplomats from the alliance’s 31 member nations at a crucial time as threats from Russia and China increase.
Next year’s summit will be held in Washington and is anticipated to be historic, as it will mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of NATO in 1949.
