LONDON: Germany joined the United States (US), United Kingdom (UK), and France on Thursday in supporting the nomination of the Netherlands’ outgoing Prime Minister, Mark Rutte for the position of Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

“Chancellor (Olaf) Scholz supports the nomination of Mark Rutte as the new Secretary General of NATO,“ German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said on X, according to Anadolu Agency (AA).

“He is an outstanding candidate with immense experience, great expertise in security policy, and strong diplomatic skills,“ added Hebestreit, citing Sholz.

Rutte, aged 57, reportedly also has the support of Washington, London, and Paris.

He requires the endorsement of all 31 NATO allies before being nominated to succeed Jens Stoltenberg, who is expected to step down in October after serving 10 years in the position.

Last July, NATO allies agreed to extend Stoltenberg’s mandate for another year until Oct 1, 2024.-Bernama