NATO appoints outgoing Dutch PM Mark Rutte as its next secretary

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO appointed Mark Rutte as its next secretary-general on Wednesday, putting the outgoing Dutch prime minister in charge of the world’s biggest security organization at a critical time for European security as war rages in Ukraine .

Rutte’s appointment was sealed by NATO ambassadors during a meeting at the 32-nation alliance’s headquarters in Brussels. U.S. President Joe Biden and his counterparts will formally welcome him to their table at a summit in Washington on July 9-11.

The outgoing Dutch premier will take over from the current secretary general, Norway’s Jens Stoltenberg, on Oct. 1. Stoltenberg spent more than a decade at the helm. His mandate was repeatedly extended, in part to provide continuity after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

“I warmly welcome NATO allies’ choice of Mark Rutte as my successor,” Stoltenberg said.

“Mark is a true trans-Atlanticist, a strong leader, and a consensus-builder. I wish him every success as we continue to strengthen NATO for the challenges of today and tomorrow. I know I am leaving NATO in good hands,” he added.

Secretaries general chair meetings and guide often delicate consultations among member countries to ensure the organization, which operates on consensus, can function smoothly. The NATO leader also ensures decisions are put into action and speaks on behalf of all members.

Several obstacles had stood in Rutte’s way of security the post, even though he had the backing of the White House and most other big member countries including Germany. He emerged as the sole candidate after Romanian President Klaus Iohannis withdrew last week.

Hungary lifted its objections earlier this month, once Rutte agreed that Budapest would not be obligated in the future to send personnel or provide funds for a new support plan for Ukraine. NATO’s unanimous decision-making gives any member a veto over projects and operations.

Turkey had also voiced opposition to Rutte’s bid but lifted its objections in April.

布鲁塞尔（美联社）——北约周三任命马克·吕特为下一任秘书长，这位即将卸任的荷兰首相将在乌克兰战火肆虐、欧洲安全面临关键时刻执掌世界上最大的安全组织。

吕特的任命是在北约32国大使于布鲁塞尔北约总部举行的会议上正式敲定的。美国总统拜登及其同行将于7月9日至11日在华盛顿举行的峰会上正式欢迎他加入北约。

即将卸任的荷兰首相将于10月1日接替现任秘书长、挪威人延斯·斯托尔滕贝格。斯托尔滕贝格担任秘书长一职已超过十年。他的任期曾多次延长，部分原因是为确保在2022年俄罗斯入侵乌克兰后工作的连续性。

斯托尔滕贝格说：“我热烈欢迎北约盟国选择马克·吕特作为我的继任者。”

“马克是一位真正的跨大西洋主义者，一位强有力的领导者，也是一位共识缔造者。我祝愿他一切顺利，我们将继续加强北约，以应对当今和未来的挑战。我知道我把北约交给了他，他值得信赖。”他补充道。

秘书长主持会议，并指导成员国之间往往涉及敏感问题的磋商，以确保这个以共识为基础运作的组织能够顺利运行。北约领导人还负责确保各项决议得到落实，并代表所有成员国发言。

尽管吕特得到了白宫和包括德国在内的大多数其他主要成员国的支持，但他在确保这一职位方面仍面临诸多障碍。在罗马尼亚总统克劳斯·约翰尼斯上周退出竞选后，吕特成为唯一候选人。

本月初，匈牙利撤回了反对意见，此前吕特首相同意布达佩斯未来无需向乌克兰新援助计划派遣人员或提供资金。北约的一致决策机制赋予任何成员国对项目和行动的否决权。

土耳其也曾反对吕特的提名，但在四月份撤回了反对意见。