Danish PM named new Nato secretary general

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."