Outgoing Dutch PM Mark Rutte appointed as NATO Secretary General

Brussels, June 26 (IANS) The North Atlantic Council decided to appoint outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the next Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), NATO said in a statement on Wednesday.

The statement said Rutte will assume his duties as NATO's Secretary General on October 1, when Jens Stoltenberg's term expires after 10 years at the helm of the alliance, reports Xinhua news agency.

On June 19, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis officially announced his withdrawal from the race for NATO's Secretary General. Consequently, Rutte has gained the support of all 32 member countries.

The Netherlands is a founding member of NATO. Mark Rutte (57), 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 General 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.