00:00Former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, on Tuesday, took over his duty as the new NATO
00:07Secretary-General, voicing his strong support for Ukraine.
00:12The 57-year-old replaces Jens Stoltenberg, who ran the alliance for a decade.
00:18Rutte outlined three priorities under his leadership, saying that the first priority
00:23is to keep NATO strong and ensure its allies' defensive capabilities effective against all
00:29threats.
00:30My second priority is to step up our support for Ukraine and bring it ever closer to NATO.
00:38Because there can be no lasting security in Europe without a strong, independent Ukraine.
00:46I know from personal experience with the downing of Flight MH17 in 2014, how conflict in Ukraine
00:55is not contained to the front lines.
00:59So we must do our part.
01:01Rutte said his third priority is to strengthen NATO partnerships with the EU and countries
01:07around the world that share common interests and values.
01:11He also said they will ensure their core mission and values will not be changed.
01:16And I believe now the right wording is that I have to say, this meeting now stands adjourned.
01:25In June, NATO said Rutte was formally confirmed as its Secretary General and that he was the
01:38sole candidate after Romanian President Klaus Iohannis withdrew from the race.
01:44Rutte was the longest-serving Prime Minister of the Netherlands, serving from 2010 to 2014.
01:52He relinquished his post as the leader of People's Party for Freedom and Democracy,
01:57which he held from May 2006 until August 2023.
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