Ambassadors of 32 NATO countries have approved the candidacy of Mark Rutte, who lost the Dutch election for the post of prime minister, to serve as the alliance's chief for the next five years, the press service reported.
"The North Atlantic Council decided to appoint Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the next Secretary General of NATO," the press service said.
Rutte has served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands since 2010. He is the leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy. Rutte also served as Minister of Social Affairs and Employment from 2003 to 2006, as well as Minister of Education, Culture and Science from 2006 to 2010.
Outgoing NATO head Jens Stoltenberg's term as NATO chief will expire in October 2024.
