NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen (Photo: NATO)The term of NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has been extended another year, the North Atlantic Council announced on Wednesday.
Rasmussen’s term now runs until July 31, 2014.
“Allies will support Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in his dedicated work to carry forward NATO’s tasks, missions and objectives, based on consensual allied decisions,” a written statement from the council read.
In a short briefing from NATO headquarters in Brussels this morning, Rasmussen said he is honored by the trust and support of allied governments.
“My first years in office presented many challenges,” Rasmussen said. “We developed and agreed to a new strategic concept for the alliance. We took crucial decisions to develop a NATO missile defense system to protect our people and territory against a grave and growing threat.”
Statement by National Security Council Spokesperson Tommy Vietor:
President Obama welcomes the decision by all 28 NATO members to extend NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen’s tenure for an additional year, through 2014.
The United States commends the Secretary General for his strong leadership of America’s most important security alliance, and we look forward to continuing to work with him and with our NATO allies and partners as we strengthen and revitalize NATO for the 21st century.
For over 63 years, NATO has advanced freedom, security, and prosperity for the United States and its allies and partners.
Secretary General Rasmussen will lead the Alliance to fulfill the commitments made at the Chicago Summit hosted by President Obama last May, which include completing transition, ending the war, and defining NATO’s long-term partnership with Afghanistan; reshaping alliance capabilities to realize the goals set forth in NATO Forces 2020; and advancing opportunities for global partners to cooperate with NATO.
