NATO members have an agreement in principle to extend Secretary General Stoltenberg’s term for another year

Washington (AFP) – NATO members have reached a tentative agreement that will require Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to remain at the helm of the 31-member transatlantic alliance for another year, according to a US official familiar with the decision.

The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the decision still needs approval from coalition members. The long-awaited decision to formally ask Stoltenberg to extend his term for another year, the official said, is expected to happen relatively soon.

NATO members are scheduled to hold their annual summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11-12. President Joe Biden told Stoltenberg during their recent meeting at the White House, the official said, that it was clear there would be no near-term consensus among NATO allies on choosing a new permanent leader.

Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister, has been NATO’s top civilian official since 2014. His term was due to end last year, but was extended a second time to keep his hand steady after Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine in February. 2022.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who is leading a delegation to Vilnius next month, said in an interview Thursday that she was expecting an extension of Stoltenberg’s term, calling it “very severe.” Good news for NATO and for the allies.

“I think Stoltenberg proved his worth as the challenges NATO faced during the past two years unfolded,” Shaheen said. “He’s been very adept at working with all the NATO countries and I think any time we’re in the middle of a crisis – like right now with what’s happening in the war in Ukraine – being able to maintain the kind of stability and leadership that he’s provided is really critical.”

Biden made it clear to Stoltenberg that he would welcome him for a longer period — especially with no end in sight to the war in Ukraine and with the challenge of getting Sweden approved as a member of the coalition. The official said NATO leaders largely agreed with Biden that maintaining “continuity” at this delicate moment for the alliance was essential.

Douglas Lute, who served as the US ambassador to NATO under President Barack Obama, said that extending Stoltenberg’s term offers NATO the path of least resistance.

“What the coalition does not need now is a lack of solidarity over who will succeed him,” Lott said. “The simplest thing is to stretch.”

Biden had paid tribute to Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. NATO is keen to put a woman to the top job. Denmark’s prime minister was thought to be a favorite after a meeting with Biden earlier this month, but she has said publicly that she was not looking for the job. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also pressed Biden on behalf of British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace.

Frederiksen encountered a severe headwind. Poland opposes the next Secretary General coming from a Nordic country after Stoltenberg’s long tenure, according to the US official.

Stoltenberg’s predecessor, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, is from Denmark. Polish officials are pushing for the next secretary-general to come from a Baltic country, according to the US official. Estonian Prime Minister Kadja Kallas emerged as their preferred candidate.

The US official said that some members are also insisting that the next secretary-general be a former head of state, which has made the road difficult for Wallace.

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Associated Press writer Chris Mejrian contributed to this report.