The alliance states decided at the summit meeting to extend the Norwegian’s mandate until September 30, 2023, the defense alliance announced on Thursday in Brussels. In addition, Stoltenberg was thanked for his leadership and commitment – especially at this critical moment for international security.
Stoltenberg has been NATO Secretary General since 2014, and his term was supposed to end on September 30th. After that, the former Norwegian head of government originally wanted to go back to his homeland and become head of the central bank there. The 63-year-old applied for this post at the end of last year. At the beginning of February he was officially awarded the contract.
The 63-year-old is resigning from his appointment as head of the Norwegian central bank, and instead interim head of the bank Ida Wolden Bache should take over the post for a term of six years, the Norwegian Ministry of Finance announced on Thursday. Finance Minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum will submit an application to King Harald V as soon as possible.
It was initially unclear whether Stoltenberg was asked by heads of state and government to consider extending the contract in view of the Ukraine war, or whether he tried to do so himself in view of the situation. Rumors of whereabouts had recently increased again against the background of the Ukraine war and the serious tensions with Russia.
Shortly after it began, the heads of state and government of the NATO countries described Russia’s attack on Ukraine as the “most serious threat to Euro-Atlantic security in decades”.
Stoltenberg has gained recognition above all as a skillful mediator between the sometimes very different interests of the now 30 NATO countries. He is particularly credited with moderating the dispute over defense spending by the European allies, which escalated during the tenure of US President Donald Trump. Trump even threatened at times that the United States would leave the alliance.
At almost eight years old, Stoltenberg is already one of the longest-serving Secretary Generals in the history of the alliance. He even overtook the German Manfred Wörner. The ex-defense minister from the CDU was the highest international official in the alliance from 1988 until his death in 1994. The Dutchman Joseph Luns has been NATO Secretary General for the longest time. He served from 1971 to 1984.
Source: Nachrichten
