Race To Select New NATO Secretary-General Heats Up

President Joe Biden is welcoming outgoing NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to the White House for talks on Monday, mentioned the news agency AP in its report.

Stoltenberg, who has led the NATO since 2014 and has had his tenure extended three times, said earlier this year he would move on when his current time expires at the end of September, it mentioned.

“The jockeying to replace him is intensifying as leaders of the 31-member military alliance are set to meet next month for their annual summit in Vilnius, Lithuania,” it mentioned.

Last week, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made the case for UK Defense Minister Ben Wallace directly to Biden, while US president Joe Biden also met with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, another potential contender.

Earlier, Biden called Wallace “very qualified” but noted that the conversation among NATO leaders to find a “consensus” pick to replace Stoltenberg was ongoing.?

It mentioned Biden's opinion carries enormous weight as the US spends more than any other member in the alliance on defense.

Frederiksen sought to play down her candidacy after she met with Biden last week, it said.

It added she declined to say whether she discussed the coming vacancy with him, telling reporters that she did not want to go “further in these speculations about NATO.”?

NATO has never had a female secretary-general.

Meanwhile, the report said Biden and Stoltenberg are also expected to discuss Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine and efforts to persuade fellow NATO member Turkey to back off blocking Sweden from joining the military alliance.

Sweden and Finland, both historically unaligned militarily, jointly sought NATO membership after being rattled by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Turkey initially blocked both countries from joining the alliance before agreeing to membership for Finland while continuing to object to Sweden.

In public comments since Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was reelected last month, Biden has spoken with a measure of certainty that Sweden will soon join the alliance, it said.
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