John Adoyi, PBA Journalism MenteeAmid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) has on Tuesday, agreed to keep Jens Stoltenberg as its Secretary-General till 2024.
Stoltenberg whose mandate was renewed last year after it was due to expire, had initially said he will not remain in office after September, made a U-turn and announced on his Twitter handle that he has accepted to stay in office for one year.
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“I’m Honoured by #NATO Allies’ decision to extend my term as Secretary General until 1 October 2024,” Mr. Stoltenberg tweeted.
“The transatlantic bond between Europe and North America has ensured our freedom and security for nearly 75 years, and in a more dangerous world, our Alliance is more important than ever,” he added.
The world’s largest security alliance which is made up of 31 countries including the United States, France, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom, amongst others, was to announce Stoltenberg’s replacement by July 11-12 when the leaders meet in Lithuania but no replacement was picked, despite media reports flaunting prominent names like Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen and U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace being the front candidates.
Welcoming the mandate of Secretary Stoltenberg, the president of United States, Joe Biden, said that under the leadership of Stoltenberg, NATO became “stronger, more united and purposeful than it has ever been.”
“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 said in a statement.
Jens Stoltenberg who was Norway’s Prime Minister between 2000-2001 and 2005-2013, became NATO’s secretary-General in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea region. He replaced Anders Fogh Rasmussen who was the 12th Secretary-General from 2009 to 2014.
Stoltenberg has had his job renewed in 2018-2022, 2022-2023 and now 2023-2024. He’s the second-longest serving NATO secretary-general after former Dutch foreign minister, Joseph Luns, who spent almost 13 years in office.
The Secretary-General is responsible for coordinating the workings of the alliance, leading NATO’s international staff, chairing the meetings of the North Atlantic Council amongst other duties. The term is four years and can be renewed through agreement of all members.
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