East Africa News Post

Complete News World

Mark Rutte becomes the new Secretary General of NATO


New NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will hold his first press conference after succeeding Jens Stoltenberg as NATO Secretary General, at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium on October 1, 2024. Former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will succeed Jens Stoltenberg as Secretary General NATO General. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on October 1, 2024, ten years after the latter remained at the helm of the alliance. Evie

Dutch Mark Ruti This Tuesday he became the new Secretary General of NATOAfter he succeeded the Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg During a meeting of the North Atlantic Council.

The transfer came after Stoltenberg gave Rutte the Viking hammer that Iceland donated to NATO and is used in special meetings in the alliance. It was used at the last meeting of ministers held at the former headquarters of the Transatlantic Organization, was in use until 2018, and is used today as well.

Later, Stoltenberg handed over the chairmanship of the North Atlantic Council, NATO’s highest decision-making body, to Rutte, the alliance’s current Secretary-General.

Rutte stated that it is a great honor for me to assume this position, and he thanked all the countries of the Transatlantic Organization for their confidence in him as responsible for “guiding the alliance in the coming years.”

“It is a great job and the standard is very high. “Jens, you have been an exemplary general secretary,” he commented.

He stressed that his priorities include keeping NATO “strong” and ensuring defenses remain “effective and credible.”

“That is why we need more forces, with better capabilities and faster innovation. This requires more investment, because in order to do more we have to spend more. There is no free alternative if we want to rise to the challenges and keep our population of one billion safe,” he explained. person.

He also listed among the priorities increased support for Ukraine and bringing the country closer to NATO.

He commented: “There can be no lasting security in Europe without a strong and independent Ukraine.”

He stressed that the alliance must adhere to the “irreversible path” that Ukraine is following towards its membership in the transatlantic organization.

“We must deliver on the package agreed at the Washington summit, the leadership, the financial commitment and Ukraine’s irreversible path to membership,” Rutte said.

He declared that support for Ukraine must continue over time because the right place for Kiev is in NATO.

Likewise, he said he would focus on strengthening partnerships with the European Union and third countries around the world. Evie