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Danish PM named new Nato secretary general

Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Friday became Nato's new secretary general after Turkey, under intense pressure from key states of the 28-member alliance, withdrew its opposition to his nomination.

  • By Habib Toumi, Bahrain Bureau Chief
  • Published: 22:46 April 4, 2009
  • Gulf News

Strasbourg: Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Friday became Nato's new secretary general after Turkey, under intense pressure from key states of the 28-member alliance, withdrew its opposition to his nomination.

Standing next to Rasmussen, Nato Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told journalists in Strasbourg that a solution has been found for the concerns expressed by Turkey, without elaborating.

In Ankara, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, commenting on the last-minute U-turn, told reporters that Turkey approved the nomination after getting "assurances from the US" and "after US President Barack Obama has answered Ankara's objections."

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