Saturday | 5 October 2024 | Reg No- 06
বাংলা
   
Saturday | 5 October 2024 | Epaper
BREAKING: ● Sailor dies after oil tanker catches fire in Ctg      ● Ex-president Badruddoza Chowdhury passes away      ● Killing during students' movement: 9 bodies to be exhumed in Sylhet      ● Malaysian prime minister leaves Dhaka for home      ● CA seeks Malaysian support for Bangladesh to be ASEAN dialogue partner      ● Malaysian PM assures of attention to 18,000 Bangladesh workers       ● Bid to kill Khaleda Zia: Sheikh Hasina among 113 sued      

NATO names Dutch PM Rutte as next boss

Published : Thursday, 27 June, 2024 at 12:00 AM  Count : 142
BRUSSELS, June 26: NATOs 32 nations on Wednesday appointed outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the alliances next head, handing him the job at a crucial moment with Russia on the march in Ukraine and US elections looming.

Rutte will take over from Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on October 1 after major powers -- spearheaded by the United States -- wrapped up his nomination ahead of a summit of NATO leaders in Washington next month.

"Mark is a true transatlanticist, a strong leader and a consensus-builder," Stoltenberg said on social media after NATO ambassadors approved the appointment.

"I know I am leaving NATO in good hands," he added.

Rutte said it was a "tremendous honour" to take over from Stoltenberg once his decade at the helm of NATO ends.

"The alliance is and will remain the cornerstone of our collective security. Leading this organisation is a responsibility I do not take lightly," he wrote online.

The seasoned Dutch leader, whose 14-year tenure in charge of the Netherlands is set to end within weeks, is seen as a safe pair of hands capable of stewarding NATO through perilous times.

His appointment was welcomed by leaders across the 75-year-old alliance, including British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who called it "a good choice for freedom and security".

While the 57-year-old faces the spectre of a possible return by former US president Donald Trump to the White House, Rutte will also have to grapple with the threat posed by Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

After staking a claim for the NATO post following the collapse of his coalition last year, Rutte had to use all his diplomatic skills to win over reluctant allies Turkey and Hungary.

He finally clinched the race last week when his sole challenger, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, dropped out.
A staunch supporter of Ukraine, the straight-talking Dutchman has spearheaded a push to give Kyiv F-16 fighter jets to help beat back Russias invasion.

As NATO chief he will play a key role in marshalling weary allies to keep backing the war-torn country -- while treading a fine line over Kyivs push to join.

"Congratulations to Mark Rutte on being elected as the new Secretary General of NATO. Your leadership and dedication to democratic principles are crucial for our shared future," the Ukrainian presidencys chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said on social media.

The Kremlins 2022 assault on Ukraine has reinvigorated an alliance that often struggled for purpose after the end of the Cold War, and pushed European nations to increase their defence spending.     —AFP



LATEST NEWS
MOST READ
Also read
Maldives leader heads to India to repair frail ties 
US, India to cooperate on critical minerals 
Erdogan lashes out at Israel for attack on UN chief 
WHO hopes to start Gaza polio vaccination second round on Oct 14 
Lebanon receives first UN aid plane since Israel escalation 
Khamenei says Israel will not defeat Iran as strikes pummelled Lebanon 
Kim threatens to use nukes if attacked 
Biden says does not believe there will be ‘all-out war’ in ME 
Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Online: 41053014; Advertisement: 41053012.
E-mail: info©dailyobserverbd.com, news©dailyobserverbd.com, advertisement©dailyobserverbd.com, For Online Edition: mailobserverbd©gmail.com
🔝