BRUSSELS (AP) — Latvia’s foreign minister on Tuesday staked his claim to the top job at NATO, saying that the military organization needs a consensus builder who is committed to higher defense spending and has a clear vision of how to deal with Russia.
NATO is likely to name a new secretary general at its next summit in Washington in July. Former Norwegian prime minister Jens Stoltenberg has been the alliance’s top civilian official since 2014. His term has been extended four times during the war in Ukraine.
“We’re going to have 32 countries. Keeping 32 countries together on any topic, it’s a big challenge, and we need a consensus builder that can work with any and all allies, to move everyone forward in the same direction,” Latvian Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins told reporters at NATO headquarters.
One of Stoltenberg’s challenges is to help persuade Turkey, along with Hungary, to endorse Sweden’s attempt to become NATO’s 32nd member. NATO officials hope the issue will be resolved by the time U.S. President Joe Biden and counterparts meet in Washington.
In an awkward moment in front of television cameras as…
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