NATO announces new leader, former Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg

NATO announced the appointment of Jens Stoltenberg, former prime minister of Norway, as Secretary General designate on its website Friday.

Stoltenberg, 55, who served as prime minister of Norway from 2000-2001 and 2005-2013, will be successor to Anders Rasmussen, who’s held the post for five years.

In support of his successor, along with his warm congratulations, Rasmussen tweeted:

I’ve known @JensStoltenberg for many yrs & know he’s the right man to build on NATO’s record of strength & success after #natosummituk

— AndersFogh Rasmussen (@AndersFoghR) March 28, 2014

Stoltenberg’s appointment as the new leader of NATO comes at a time of the organization’s renewed relevance in light of escalating tensions with Russia over the country's military action in the Ukraine.

As Rasmussen tweets:

The #Ukraine -#Russia crisis shows need for continued strong & determined leadership of #NATO

— AndersFogh Rasmussen (@AndersFoghR) March 28, 2014

But Rasmussen and NATO seem to believe that Stoltenberg is the man for the job.

Stoltenberg’s bio, published alongside the announcement on NATO’s website, stresses Stoltenberg’s role in increasing Norway’s contributions to NATO in the past: “During his tenure as Prime Minister, Mr Stoltenberg frequently called for NATO to focus on security challenges close to Allied territory.” It claims Stoltenberg “is a strong supporter of enhanced transatlantic cooperation, including better burden-sharing across the Atlantic.”

This news is welcome to those Americans frustrated by what they feel is America’s disproportionate fiscal contribution to European defense.

[NATO] [Stoltenberg]