The 32 NATO countries have chosen Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the next head of the alliance, AFP reported.
The appointment comes at a key moment - Russia is advancing in Ukraine and elections are coming up in the US.
Rutte will take over from Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on October 1, when the latter's term ends.
Major powers, led by the United States, endorsed his candidacy ahead of a summit of NATO leaders in Washington next month.
"I warmly welcome the NATO allies' choice of Mark Rutte as my successor. He is a true transatlantic, a strong leader and consensus-builder," Sontelberg wrote on social media.
"I know I am leaving NATO in good hands," he added.
The experienced Dutch leader, whose 14-year term at the helm of the Netherlands will end in a few weeks, will lead the Alliance through perilous times.
The 57-year-old politician faces the spectre of former US President Donald Trump's possible return to the White House. Rutte will also have to contend with the threat posed by Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
After staking his claim to the NATO post after his coalition collapsed last year, Rutte had to use all his diplomatic skills to win allies Turkey and Hungary to his side within NATO.
Last week, the only contender - Romanian President Klaus Iohannis - withdrew from the race. | BGNES
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