Sweden supports Rutte's candidacy for NATO Secretary General position

Sweden wants to see the current Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, as the next Secretary General of NATO, according to the Swedish government.

Jens Stoltenberg's tenure as NATO Secretary General expires on October 1, and it is expected that a new Secretary General will take his place. The decision on the new Secretary General is made by consensus, RBC-Ukraine reports.

"Rutte is a wise leader with solid experience. In times of growing uncertainty and deteriorating security situations, we need a strong NATO that ensures the security of all allies through deterrence and defense, while also advancing peace and freedom," said Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

Candidates for the NATO Secretary General position

At the end of October last year, Rutte stated that he would be interested in replacing Jens Stoltenberg as NATO Secretary General.

Additionally, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas expressed interest in the position of NATO Secretary General, as did Latvian Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.

Earlier reports indicated that Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte had received support from 28 out of 32 countries to become the new NATO Secretary General.