NATO does not yet know when it will decide on Stoltenberg's successor

The North Atlantic Alliance is still debating who exactly will succeed Jens Stoltenberg as Secretary General, and it is not clear how long this process will take.

According to Yevropeiska Pravda, this was stated by US Permanent Representative to NATO Julianne Smith in a media interview.

Smith reminded that Stoltenberg is expected to hand over the post to his successor in October this year, and there are officially two candidates: current Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.

"There is an ongoing debate within the Alliance about the qualifications of both of these very serious leaders, and we will continue to weigh the pros and cons until we reach a consensus on one - hopefully in the coming weeks. But we don't know exactly what that timeframe will be," the US Ambassador said, adding that Allies would certainly like to see a decision reached sooner rather than later.

"I think the latest we would like to see this resolved is before the summit in Washington," Julianne Smith added.

She recalled that the United States has expressed support for Rutte's candidacy, but also "has the deepest respect for our friend President Johannis".

Author - Olena Madiak, 02/04/2024