President, PM, FM congratulate, Rutte as NATO Chief

President Alexander Stubb, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen on Wednesday congratulated Mark Rutte for his appointment as the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

“My warmest congratulations to Mark Rutte, the next NATO Secretary General. He will bring a wealth of knowledge, experience and networks to the job,” Stubb wrote in a post in his social media platform X.

The President said that in this security environment, the Secretary General is the key player in promoting unity and strength in the Alliance.

“Mark is a worthy successor to Jens Stoltenberg and his immense legacy,” Stubb added.

“Congratulations my dear friend Mark Rutte, the Incoming Secretary General of Nato. It has been a pleasure to work with you at the European Council. Looking forward to continuing the cooperation,” Orpo wrote in a post in X.

Valtonen in a post in her social media platform X also congratulated the new NATO chief.

“Warm congratulations Mark Rutte on your appointment as SG of NATO. Looking forward to excellent cooperation in this challenging time,” wrote the Foreign Minister.

The North Atlantic Council on Wednesday decided to appoint outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the next secretary general of the NATO.

Rutte will assume his duties as NATO's secretary general on October 1, when Jens Stoltenberg's term expires after ten years at the helm of the alliance.