The USA and Great Britain have supported the candidacy of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Ruttes to be the next secretary of NATO.
"President Biden strongly supports Rutte's candidacy to be the next secretary general of NATO," a US official told Reuters.
A British official has said that Britain also "strongly supports" Rutten to succeed Jens Stoltenberg.
"Rutte is respected in the alliance, has defense and security qualifications and will ensure that the alliance remains strong and ready to defend itself," the official said.
Many other NATO members have given signals that they will support the Dutch leader in this position, which requires unanimous support from all members.
Rutte is one of Europe's longest-serving heads of government, having been prime minister since 2010.
