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<p>Mark Rutte, the outgoing prime minister of the Netherlands, will succeed Jens Stoltenberg as the next secretary general of NATO, as agreed upon by all 32 nations of the alliance.</p>

<p>Klaus Iohannis, the president of Romania, withdrew his candidacy for the NATO secretary general post on Thursday (June 20), reaffirming Romania's support for Rutte after receiving endorsements from Slovakia and Hungary on Tuesday.</p>

<p>Iohannis said that he had informed NATO allies of his decision to withdraw his candidacy at a meeting of the Supreme Council of National Defence.</p>

<p>Rutte's leadership has come when the world is marred with conflicts and major countries are holding their elections. He will assume the position on October 2.</p>

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<p>Now that Rutte has been confirmed, the succession question is resolved before July, when NATO leaders travel to Washington to commemorate the alliance's 75th anniversary.</p>

<p>Rutte's road to becoming NATO chief hasn't been easy. Since late November, he has been campaigning for the position. Eastern European nations have questioned Rutte's pre-2014 support for Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline project, and he has been accused of not actively enlisting their support. Nevertheless, Rutte received the support of two-thirds of all NATO members when he announced his candidacy in March.</p>

<p>Rutte was chosen after a lengthy process that saw Stoltenberg's term extended four times. The secretary general's tenure was extended by Allies in 2017 until the end of September 2020. They rescheduled that date to September 2022 in 2019.</p>

<p>Another extension was issued in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. NATO partners decided to give Stoltenberg an additional year as secretary general in July of last year.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Mark Rutte, the outgoing prime minister of the Netherlands, will succeed Jens Stoltenberg as the next secretary general of NATO, as agreed upon by all 32 nations of the alliance.

Mark Rutte, the outgoing prime minister of the Netherlands, will succeed Jens Stoltenberg as the next secretary general of NATO, as agreed upon by all 32 nations of the alliance. Klaus Iohannis, the president of Romania, withdrew his candidacy for the NATO secretary general post on Thursday (June 20), reaffirming Romania's support for Rutte after receiving endorsements from Slovakia and Hungary on Tuesday. Iohannis said that he had informed NATO allies of his decision to withdraw his candidacy at a meeting of the Supreme Council of National Defence. Rutte's leadership has come when the world is marred with conflicts and major countries are holding their elections. He will assume the position on October 2. Also read: Putin's Pyongyang yawn: Social media buzzes over videos of 'bored' Putin at North Korean concert - See pics Now that Rutte has been confirmed, the succession question is resolved before July, when NATO leaders travel to Washington to commemorate the alliance's 75th anniversary. Rutte's road to becoming NATO chief hasn't been easy. Since late November, he has been campaigning for the position. Eastern European nations have questioned Rutte's pre-2014 support for Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline project, and he has been accused of not actively enlisting their support. Nevertheless, Rutte received the support of two-thirds of all NATO members when he announced his candidacy in March. Rutte was chosen after a lengthy process that saw Stoltenberg's term extended four times. The secretary general's tenure was extended by Allies in 2017 until the end of September 2020. They rescheduled that date to September 2022 in 2019. Another extension was issued in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. NATO partners decided to give Stoltenberg an additional year as secretary general in July of last year. (With inputs from agencies)

Mark Rutte to succeed Stoltenberg as NATO secretary general amid escalating global tensions

<p>NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is likely to be asked to continue in his role for another year, according to an anonymous source familiar with the discussions and a US official, both quoted by Reuters news agency.&nbsp;The US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that the Biden administration is increasingly open to the idea of Stoltenberg staying on, as there is currently no consensus within the alliance regarding his replacement.</p>

<p>"The (Biden) administration is coming around (to) the idea of Stoltenberg staying on for another year. It doesn't look like there is consensus at the moment within the alliance on his replacement," the source said.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Stoltenberg leaves replacement decision to alliance members</strong></h2>

<p>Jens Stoltenberg stated on Thursday that it is ultimately up to the member countries of the alliance to decide whether they want to replace him. As discussions take place among NATO's 31 nations, the search for a successor to the position of secretary general is underway in preparation for an upcoming summit of leaders in Vilnius, Lithuania.</p>

<p>“When it comes to my successor that is an issue to be decided by the 31 allies,” Stoltenberg said at a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels. “I’m responsible for all decisions that this alliance has to take except one, and that is about my future, that is for 31 allies to decide.”</p>

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<p>Stoltenberg has been leading the Western military alliance since 2014 and his term has already been extended by a year due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Now, with his tenure drawing to a close, NATO members are deliberating on the future leadership of the alliance.</p>

<p>The alliance has encountered difficulties in deciding on a replacement ahead of an upcoming mid-July summit in Lithuania.</p>

<p>Stoltenberg, who has already had his term extended three times, is set to step down in September after serving as secretary-general for nine years. He enjoys broad support within the alliance and is regarded as an effective leader.</p>

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<p>With the summit in Vilnius approaching, the likelihood of Stoltenberg being asked to extend his tenure for a fourth time has grown. NATO allies are concerned about displaying disunity while the alliance continues to respond to Russia's actions in Ukraine.</p>

<p>Although Stoltenberg previously mentioned in February that he was not seeking a further extension, he has not disclosed his response if asked by NATO members to stay on.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Whoever assumes the role of NATO secretary general will face the challenge of maintaining unity among allies in supporting Ukraine while also preventing any escalation that could draw NATO into direct conflict with Russia.</p>

<h2><strong>Other potential candidates</strong></h2>

<p>While British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has openly expressed his interest in the position, there is also a push from some governments to appoint the first female NATO secretary general. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has emerged as a serious contender in this regard.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | China targets ‘unity in thought’ with campaign on Xi’s philosophy</strong></p>

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<p>However, Frederiksen recently voiced support for Stoltenberg staying on, considering it a favourable solution. She met with US President Joe Biden in Washington earlier this month, and Stoltenberg also visited the White House for talks with Biden.</p>

<p>According to the source quoted by Reuters, US officials believe that there are several potential candidates, and Biden holds high regard for all of them, including Denmark's prime minister.&nbsp;The source added that Biden believes Stoltenberg has done an exceptional job during a challenging period, a sentiment shared by many other NATO allies.</p>

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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is likely to be asked to continue in his role for another year, according to an anonymous source familiar with the discussions and a US official, both quoted by Reuters news agency.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is likely to be asked to continue in his role for another year, according to an anonymous source familiar with the discussions and a US official, both quoted by Reuters news agency. The US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that the Biden administration is increasingly open to the idea of Stoltenberg staying on, as there is currently no consensus within the alliance regarding his replacement. "The (Biden) administration is coming around (to) the idea of Stoltenberg staying on for another year. It doesn't look like there is consensus at the moment within the alliance on his replacement," the source said. Stoltenberg leaves replacement decision to alliance members Jens Stoltenberg stated on Thursday that it is ultimately up to the member countries of the alliance to decide whether they want to replace him. As discussions take place among NATO's 31 nations, the search for a successor to the position of secretary general is underway in preparation for an upcoming summit of leaders in Vilnius, Lithuania. “When it comes to my successor that is an issue to be decided by the 31 allies,” Stoltenberg said at a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels. “I’m responsible for all decisions that this alliance has to take except one, and that is about my future, that is for 31 allies to decide.” Also Read | China achieves historic milestone: Launches 41 satellites in single mission, setting new record Stoltenberg has been leading the Western military alliance since 2014 and his term has already been extended by a year due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Now, with his tenure drawing to a close, NATO members are deliberating on the future leadership of the alliance. The alliance has encountered difficulties in deciding on a replacement ahead of an upcoming mid-July summit in Lithuania. Stoltenberg, who has already had his term extended three times, is set to step down in September after serving as secretary-general for nine years. He enjoys broad support within the alliance and is regarded as an effective leader. Also Read | Uganda: 25 students killed in overnight militant attack With the summit in Vilnius approaching, the likelihood of Stoltenberg being asked to extend his tenure for a fourth time has grown. NATO allies are concerned about displaying disunity while the alliance continues to respond to Russia's actions in Ukraine. Although Stoltenberg previously mentioned in February that he was not seeking a further extension, he has not disclosed his response if asked by NATO members to stay on. Whoever assumes the role of NATO secretary general will face the challenge of maintaining unity among allies in supporting Ukraine while also preventing any escalation that could draw NATO into direct conflict with Russia. Other potential candidates While British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has openly expressed his interest in the position, there is also a push from some governments to appoint the first female NATO secretary general. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has emerged as a serious contender in this regard. Watch | China targets ‘unity in thought’ with campaign on Xi’s philosophy × However, Frederiksen recently voiced support for Stoltenberg staying on, considering it a favourable solution. She met with US President Joe Biden in Washington earlier this month, and Stoltenberg also visited the White House for talks with Biden. According to the source quoted by Reuters, US officials believe that there are several potential candidates, and Biden holds high regard for all of them, including Denmark's prime minister. The source added that Biden believes Stoltenberg has done an exceptional job during a challenging period, a sentiment shared by many other NATO allies. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Stoltenberg expected to be asked to extend another term as NATO chief amid replacement challenges

The race to replace the current NATO boss Jens Stoltenberg is underway. This comes at a time when the military alliance faces multiple challenges from the Russia-Ukraine war to keeping the 31 bloc together. As per expert claims, Stoltenberg did a good job keeping the alliance together through multiple crises but who are the top contenders to replace him, keep watching to find out.

Race for NATO's next Secretary General | World News

Jens Stoltenberg to retire as NATO chief | World News