NATO has decided to extend the mandate of Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of the Alliance, for another year, Reuters reports.
Thus, the alliance has decided to trust an experienced and reliable leader instead of looking for another candidate at a time when war is raging on its doorstep.
Former Norwegian Prime Minister Stoltenberg has been leading the transatlantic organization since 2014, and his term in office has already been extended three times. The decision of the Alliance members means that what has been started will be continued.
Stoltenberg, 64, is seen as a stable leader and a patient compromise seeker.
In a post published on Twitter, Stoltenberg stated that he was honored by the member states’ decision: “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.”
His next tasks also include transforming NATO forces to focus on possible Russian attacks. For several decades, the alliance was more active outside its borders, for example in Afghanistan and the Balkans. Also,
Stoltenberg will have to address the issue of NATO’s involvement in developments in Asia.
The US wants the alliance to take a more serious stance in confronting China, while others, such as France, believe NATO should remain active in the North Atlantic region.
Diplomats and researchers have highlighted Stoltenberg’s ability to maintain NATO unity on Ukraine, maintaining a balance between those who demand maximum support for Kyiv and those who want to be cautious.
Jamie Shea, a former NATO official who is now a representative of the Chatham House think tank, said that member states made a logical choice and that experience is especially valuable in a hard times.
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