Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski once again claimed that he was never in the running for the post of secretary-general, as heads of state and foreign ministers met for the 60th NATO summit in Germany and France, Friday.
“I was never a candidate,” Minister Sikorski told a private radio station in Poland, Friday, at the same time as Prime Minister Donald Tusk was telling the Sejm, the lower house of parliament that Poland would not be putting his name forward for consideration for the top job in the North Atlantic Organisation, which becomes available in July.
Poland’s government has not said, however, who they are backing for secretary-general, a civilian post that has always gone to a European since the organisation was set up 60 years ago.
The main contenders left in the race - discussed last night at a dinner in Baden-Baden - are thought to be Norway’s Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere, Canadian Defence Minister Peter MacKay and the favourite, Denmark’s acting prime minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen. The Dane’s hopes could be blocked by Turkey, after the controversy over the Mohammed cartoons and Denmark being host to Roj TV, a station which backs Kurd moves to separate from Turkey.
NATO leaders will be discussing President Obama’s plans for a troop “surge” in Afghanistan on Saturday. Many of the European members of NATO are reluctant to increase troop numbers in the region, though Poland and the UK have agreed to put up more troops. Poland currently has 1600 troops in Afghanistan and will be increasing the contingent by 400 this year and will be moving into a more offensive role as the Taliban is expected to get more active as spring comes to the country.
NATO will also be welcoming Albania and Croatia to the alliance and will be discussing relations with Russia in the context of recent aggression in South Ossetia and Moscow’s relations with Georgia and Ukraine. (pg)
UPDATE 16.00 CET: Saturday: Danish TV reports that Anders Fogh Rasmussen will indeed be the next NATO secretary-general. Diplomats have told reporters unofficially that the new secretary-geberal has been chosen and will take up his post in July.