Today, I welcome Mark Rutte as the new Secretary General the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which for 75 years has strengthened our collective security, protected democracies, and defended against threats as one.

Secretary General Rutte has an impressive track record as a consensus-builder and decisive leader.  I have full confidence that he will continue to build on our work to create a NATO that is stronger, larger, and more resolute than ever in its mission to create a safer world for our peoples.  The United States remains deeply devoted to the most successful Alliance in the history of the world.  We hold fast to our sacred Article 5 commitment: an attack on one is an attack on all.

Lastly, I want to express my deep gratitude to Jens Stoltenberg, who led the Alliance through the most consequential decade for Euro-Atlantic security since World War II.  I thank him for his remarkable service. 

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