The NATO Military Committee formally yesterday farewelled Jens Stoltenberg, whose tenure as Secretary General ended. He is replaced by Mark Rutte, former Prime Minister of the Netherlands on 1 October 2024.

Deputy Chair of the Military Committee Lieutenant General Andrew M. Rohling praised Stoltenberg’s democratic leadership and the spirit of strength and unity he has instilled in Allied Nations. 

The second-longest serving Secretary General in NATO's history, Jens Stoltenberg witnessed some of the most turbulent years in the Alliance’s history. The former Norwegian Prime Minister took office shortly after Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. The following years saw major shifts in the security environment, especially with the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, terrorist attacks, the COVID-19 pandemic and the formal accession of four new NATO Allies –Montenegro, North Macedonia, Finland and Sweden.

During this period, Jens Stoltenberg maintained the NATO’s high morale while actively contributing to the strengthening of the Allied political-military dialogue.

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