Former Norwegian Prime Minister Designated to Lead NATO
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 28, 2014 – Former prime minister of Norway, Jens Stoltenberg, was designated today to serve as the next secretary general of NATO.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in a statement that he welcomed the selection.
“Former Prime Minister Stoltenberg will bring strong credentials and experience to the alliance at a critically important time,” Hagel said.
“NATO has been and continues to be a force for peace, prosperity and freedom, not only in Europe, but around the world,” the defense secretary said. The United States, he added, will continue to strongly support the alliance and all of its member nations.
America's commitment to NATO's collective defense is firm and resolute, Hagel said.
Stoltenberg will succeed current Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen when his term expires Oct. 1, 2014. Rasmussen was prime minister of Denmark for eight years before becoming NATO secretary general in 2009.
"I want to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to NATO Secretary General Rasmussen for his many years of strong leadership, for his commitment to strengthening the alliance, and for his continued hard work in bringing a critical NATO summit together this coming September in Wales," Hagel said.
The 2014 NATO summit will take place Sept. 4-5 in Wales. The last NATO summit was in Chicago in 2012.
WHITE HOUSE STATEMENT ON SELECTION OF JENS STOLTENBERG TO LEAD NATO
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
Statement by the Press Secretary on the Selection of former Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg as the Next NATO Secretary General
We welcome the selection of former Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg as NATO’s next Secretary General, beginning October 1, 2014. Mr. Stoltenberg is a proven leader with a demonstrated commitment to the transatlantic Alliance. As Prime Minister, he built Norway’s military capabilities and actively contributed to NATO operations and political dialogue. We are confident he is the best person to ensure the continued strength and unity of the NATO Alliance.
We also are grateful for the service of current NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and will rely on his expertise to bring the Alliance through the NATO Summit in September. Secretary General Rasmussen has been an exceptional leader at an extraordinary time. His vision and dedication have strengthened the Alliance’s strategic direction and focus on ways to bolster defense capabilities while reinforcing the commitments and values underpinning it. From preparing for NATO’s transition in Afghanistan, to seeing us through the intervention in Libya, and – now – to providing strong leadership in the face of Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine, Secretary General Rasmussen has been a steadfast partner and a trusted friend of the United States throughout his tenure. We know that Mr. Stoltenberg will prove the same.
