Press Release (2003)105 22 Sep. 2003

Statement by the Secretary General of NATO, Lord Robertson on the appointment of Jaap de Hoop Scheffer to become the next Secretary General of NATO Background The NATO Secretary General News 22/09/2003 - NATO Appointment of Secretary General designate Opinions 22/09/2003 Statement by NATO Secretary General designate Mr Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands Biographies Lord Robertson of Port Ellen Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands- Jaap de Hoop Scheffer I warmly welcome the decision of the Allies to appoint Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, as the next Secretary General of NATO. Jaap has a distinguished record as both a diplomat and politician that make him superbly qualified to be Secretary General. As a diplomat, among many other important posts, he served in NATO headquarters, and so already knows us well. Now as Foreign Minister he has impressed all his colleagues with his judgement and grasp of the issues. As this year’s Chairman in Office of the OSCE, he has carved a reputation for professionalism and straight talking. Over the years NATO has been well-served by many Secretaries General, and I am certain that Jaap will continue that fine tradition. These are challenging times for NATO, which is busier than ever, and has also embarked on a radical transformation to adapt to the new security environment, and I am delighted that we have found the right man to ensure NATO remains the world's most successful defence alliance. News and information are posted regularly on the NATO Web Site. These include audio files, transcriptions and photographs for publication, which are posted as quickly as possible after events of interest to the media. Click on “What’s New?”

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