Slovakia supports the proposal that Mark Rutte be appointed as the next Secretary General of NATO, the Central European country's President Peter Pellegrini said today. Thus, it became the next member country of the alliance that supported the candidacy of the Dutch prime minister in resignation, reported Reuters and BTA.
The head of state said after the EU summit in Brussels that his country has so far preferred “geographically closer” candidate from Central and Eastern Europe such as Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, but already supports Rutte.
„After a final discussion with Mark Rutte and consultation with his government, Slovakia can imagine Rutte at the head of NATO“ and supports him, Pellegrini said during a nationally televised press conference.
This year, the US, Britain, France and Germany backed Rutte as a successor to Stoltenberg, who will step down in October. NATO makes decisions by unanimity, therefore each candidate must receive the support of all 32 member countries of the organization. With the agreement of Slovakia, and earlier today also of Hungary, Rutte now remains to receive support only from Romania.
Slovakia, which borders Ukraine, stressed the need for the next NATO chief to help protect Slovakian airspace, Pellegrini said, after the previous Slovak government donated the S-300 system to Ukraine and allies withdrew the Patriot batteries. which were temporarily placed in Slovakia.
"We will ask NATO to find an air defense system somewhere in the member states," which can be placed in Slovakia until the country gets its own, Pellegrini said.
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis announced in March that he would run for the post, saying that Eastern European countries should have better representation in the organization's leadership.