On Wednesday, the North Atlantic Council agreed to approve outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the next Secretary General of NATO, the alliance said in a statement.

“On Wednesday (26 June 2024), the North Atlantic Council decided to appoint Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the next Secretary General of NATO, succeeding Jens Stoltenberg,” the press release reads.

“Mr. Rutte will assume his functions as Secretary General from 1 October 2024, when Mr Stoltenberg’s term expires after ten years at the helm of the Alliance,” the statement reads.

For his part, Stoltenberg welcomed the choice of Mark Rutte as his successor.

I warmly welcome NATO Allies' choice of Mark Rutte as my successor. Mark is a true transatlanticist, a strong leader and a consensus-builder. I wish him every success as we continue to strengthen NATO. I know I am leaving NATO in good hands,” he said on X Wednesday.