NATO Agrees To Extend Stoltenberg's Mandate, Diplomats Say

NATO countries have agreed to extend the mandate of Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and will make a formal announcement next week, diplomats said on June 29. A former Norwegian prime minister, Stoltenberg -- at the helm of the Western military alliance since 2014 -- already had his tenure prolonged a year, to October, in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Multiple diplomats at NATO confirmed that its 31 member states had reached consensus to prolong the tenure of Stoltenberg, 64, for another year after struggling to find a suitable replacement in time for a summit in Lithuania in two weeks. To read the original story by AFP, click here.