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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, September 23, 2003

Dutch foreign minister appointed NATO new chief

The North Atlantic Council (NAC),the decision-making body of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO), decided in Brussels Monday to appoint Dutch Foreign Minister Jaap de Hoop Scheffer as new secretary-general of NATO and NAC chairman.


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The North Atlantic Council (NAC),the decision-making body of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO), decided in Brussels Monday to appoint Dutch Foreign Minister Jaap de Hoop Scheffer as new secretary-general of NATO and NAC chairman.

Scheffer, 55, is to take over from NATO's current chief George Robertson on Jan. 1, 2004, said a NATO press release. Robertson took up the post in 1999.

Since early this year when Robertson announced that he would step down by the end of the year, NATO has been searching for his successor. Names of numerous dignitaries have floated for this top job of the world's largest military alliance.

At a recent press conference, NATO Deputy Spokesman Mark Laity said the choice of NATO secretary-general is mainly a matter among the NATO member states. There are usually no officially-announced candidates. If the member states can reach an agreement on a certain candidate, the NAC would announce the decision almost immediately.

Under the agreement among the NATO member states, the post of NATO's secretary-general is usually taken by an European while the post of supreme commander of NATO forces in Europe is usually taken by a US general.

The term for the secretary-general of NATO is four years. It can be extended for another year if the secretary-general so desires.




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