Jens Stoltenberg, the current Secretary-General of NATO, will be relinquishing his post come October, according to an alliance representative. The notion of extending Stoltenberg’s term once again, as reported by a German newspaper, has been debunked by NATO’s spokesperson Oana Lungescu.
Stoltenberg, a seasoned economist and former leader of Norway’s Labour Party, has served NATO for a total of nearly 9 years, with his term having been extended thrice already. Before his appointment as NATO Secretary-General, Stoltenberg served as Norway’s Prime Minister and held various other key positions such as Finance Minister and Energy Minister.
Contrary to Welt am Sonntag’s report, Stoltenberg has no intention of seeking a fourth extension and intends to pass the baton to his successor in October as planned.
However, some NATO members are said to be keen on giving Stoltenberg the chance to preside over the organization’s 75th anniversary summit in Washington in April 2024. The timing also aligns with the potential for Stoltenberg to take the helm at the World Bank when current President David Malpass retires around the same time.
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