NATO Allies unanimously extended the term of Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg until Oct. 1, 2024, marking the third time he was elected to stay in his leadership post.
Heads of NATO member states are expected to endorse the decision at their summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, later this month, the alliance announced Tuesday.
Stoltenberg was prime minister of Norway from 2000 to 2001, and then again from 2005 to 2013.
He was named secretary general in 2014. He joined the organization after serving the United Nations, where he was special envoy on climate change, and chair of the high-level panel on climate financing.
As NATO secretary general, he led the implementation of a partnership approach to bolster cooperation between the alliance and the European Union. He also pushed for more innovation programs, better burden-sharing among the member countries, and stronger anti-terrorism policies.
“I am honoured by the decision of NATO Allies to extend my term as Secretary General,” Stoltenberg remarked. “The transatlantic bond between Europe and North America has ensured our freedom and security for nearly seventy-five years, and in a more dangerous world, our great Alliance is more important than ever.”
