Romanian President announces NATO chief bid
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Romania's President Klaus Iohannis announces his candidacy to succeed Jens Stoltenberg as chief of NATO.
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Romanian President Klaus Iohannis speaks at the EPP Congress in Bucharest, Romania, on Thursday, March 7, 2024. (AP)
On Tuesday, Romania's President Klaus Iohannis announced his candidacy to succeed Jens Stoltenberg as chief of NATO, vowing to bring a "renewal of perspective" at a critical time for the alliance.
The Western defense alliance has navigated for the past two years a challenging security environment amid the war in Ukraine.
Former Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, is widely considered the leading contender for the position. However, there were suggestions pushing the alliance to select its next leader from among its newer members located on the eastern flank.
Upon announcing his bid, Iohannis stated his belief that NATO required "a fresh perspective on its mission" for the future.
Read next: Biden backs Dutch PM Rutte for next NATO chief
In a statement, he said, "Eastern Europe has a valuable contribution to the discussions and the decisions adopted within NATO," adding that "with a balanced, strong, and influential representation from this region, the alliance will be able to make the best decisions according to the needs and concerns of all member states."
Stoltenberg's successor is expected to be announced before a July summit in Washington.
Rutte endorsed by US, UK, Germany
The Netherlands' former prime minister is widely regarded as the leading candidate to succeed Stoltenberg, with endorsements from the United States, Britain, and Germany further bolstering his potential candidacy. However, Hungary said it would not support Rutte, who has a history of criticizing Hungary's government.
Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and Latvia's top diplomat Krisjanis Karins had been pushing to be in consideration but their candidacies appear to have waned and have not been made formal.
At 64 years old, Iohannis emphasized that Romania, a NATO member since 2004, possesses a "profound comprehension, shaped by the historical challenges of its region, of the present security landscape", particularly amid the ongoing NATO-orchestrated war in Ukraine.
It is worth highlighting that Romania has served since last year as a regional hub for training pilots, including those from Ukraine, to operate American-made F-16 fighter jets.
On a different note, NATO rules dictate that no decision regarding the next Secretary-General is confirmed until a consensus is reached on a single candidate.
