SAWT BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL

| 28 March 2024, Thursday |

NATO’s Stoltenberg will not seek another extension of his term, spokesperson says

A representative for the alliance confirmed that NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg’s term will finish in October as scheduled, despite a media report to the contrary.

In total, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has had his term extended three times, according to NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu, who made the announcement late on Saturday.

The Secretary-General has no intention of asking for another extension of his mandate when his tenure expires in October of this year.

Earlier, Welt am Sonntag reported Stoltenberg’s term was to be extended again as the alliance sought to maintain stability during the war in Ukraine.

Stoltenberg, an economist by training and a former leader of Norway’s Labour Party, had his NATO term extended last year.

He was prime minister of Norway from 2000-01 and 2005-13 before becoming NATO chief the following year. He has also been finance minister and energy minister.

Welt said alliance members wanted to give Stoltenberg the opportunity to chair the organisation’s 75th anniversary summit in Washington in April 2024. He would also be in a position to become president of the World Bank when David Malpass steps down around the same time, it said.

No decision has been made about who will succeed Stoltenberg, but Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Britain’s Defense Secretary Ben Wallace are among the leading candidates for the post, Welt said.

    Source:
  • Reuters