Former Netherlands prime minister officially takes over as NATO Secretary General

The Former Netherlands prime minister, Mark Rutte has officially took over NATO Secretary General postion, Tuesday, succeeding his predecessor Jens Stoltenberg.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony at NATO headquarters in the Belgian capital Brussels, Rutte thanked the allies who entrusted him with the mission.

He expressed his thanks to his predecessor Stoltenberg “for making NATO stronger, more united and more allied,” as he put it.

At a press conference ahead of the ceremony, Rutte announced that he would prioritize three issues during his term, the first of which was Ukraine.

He stressed that Ukraine must be a member of the alliance, saying, “There can be no lasting security in Europe without a strong and independent Ukraine”.

Rutte said his second priority was to do more on defense, and invest more in this area.

The third priority, he said, was to make greater efforts to ensure the development of NATO partners, including those in the Far East.

Asked if he had concerns about the possibility of Republican candidate Donald Trump winning the US presidential election, Rutte answered, “I am not worried, I know both candidates well”.

He added, “I worked with Trump for four years, he was the one who pushed us to spend more on the alliance’s defense budget”.

On June 26, Mark Rutte was appointed NATO Secretary General, succeeding Stoltenberg, who spent 10 years at the head of the alliance, where his term was extended more than once, for reasons including ensuring continuity after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022.