NATO members agreed to extend the mandate of Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg for another year until October 1, 2024. This decision will be approved by NATO heads of state and government at the highest level meeting in Vilnius.
This is reported by the NATO website.
"I am proud of the NATO allies' decision to extend my term as Secretary General," Stoltenberg said.
According to him, "the transatlantic connection between Europe and North America has ensured our freedom and security for almost 75 years, and in a more dangerous world, our great Alliance is more important than ever."
The Allies thanked the Secretary General for his leadership and commitment, which have played a critical role in maintaining transatlantic unity in the face of unprecedented security challenges, the statement said.
Stoltenberg as NATO Secretary General
Stoltenberg has headed NATO since 2014. His mandate was supposed to end on September 30, 2022, but in March 2022, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it was extended for another year.
In February, Stoltenberg said he would not seek an extension to his contract. But NATO members asked him to accept it after failing to reach consensus on a successor.
Stoltenberg is expected to head Norway's central bank after his tenure as NATO secretary general.
Stoltenberg's successor as Secretary General
The debate over Stoltenberg's successor has intensified amid the challenges for NATO of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, internal divisions and the rise of China.
The decision to extend Stoltenberg's mandate came after Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace did not receive unanimous support.
At the same time, Poland opposes Stoltenberg's successor being a representative of one of the Scandinavian countries. In particular, many countries expressed their support for the election of the first female Secretary-General of the Alliance.
