Mark Rutte has officially taken office as NATO’s new secretary general, seeking to strengthen the transatlantic alliance at a crucial juncture.
The handover took place on Tuesday at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, where Rutte and his predecessor, Jens Stoltenberg, laid a wreath at the NATO Memorial to the Fallen and performed a ceremonial passing of the gavel.
At a special session of the North Atlantic Council, Rutte outlined his three priorities for NATO: maintaining the 32-member coalition’s strength and credibility, bolstering support for Ukraine, and strengthening partnerships.
Rutte served as prime minister of the Netherlands for close to 14 years, the longest-serving Dutch leader to date. He was formally appointed chief by NATO allies on June 26 after Romanian President Klaus Iohannis withdrew his bid for the post.
In his farewell address, Stoltenberg, who served as the NATO chief for a decade, commended Rutte’s pragmatism, commitment to NATO values and strong support for Ukraine. He will reportedly next serve as the new chairman of the Munich Security Conference.