Stoltenberg to Pass NATO Leadership to Rutte on October 1

On October 1, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will officially hand over his position to his successor, Mark Rutte, according to a statement from the alliance. A ceremony will be held to mark the occasion, during which both Stoltenberg and Rutte will deliver speeches. The handover will take place in the presence of representatives from the North Atlantic Council at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

Stoltenberg, 65, has served as NATO's 13th Secretary General since October 1, 2014. His tenure, extended multiple times, spans 10 years, making him the second-longest serving leader of the alliance, following Dutchman Josef Luns, who led NATO for 13 years from 1971 to 1984.

Mark Rutte, 57, was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands for 14 years, from 2010 to 2024. He expressed interest in leading NATO a year ago and secured unanimous support by the time of the alliance’s summit in Washington in early July this year.