Mircea Geoană today announced he was stepping down as deputy secretary general of NATO. Geoană was the first Romanian to fill this position and the first deputy secretary general from a country that joined the Alliance after the end of the Cold War.
 
The resignation, which will take effect on September 10, was accepted by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who thanked Mircea Geoană for his service.
 
“Mircea has served NATO for nearly five years. His focus on technology and emerging security challenges has been critical to driving innovation in the Alliance. He is a true transatlanticist and his work with partners has greatly benefitted NATO. I wish him all the best for the future,” said Stoltenberg, as quoted by NATO’s website.

Geoană a posted the following on Facebook: “Being in the leadership of NATO was the honor of my life. I thank Secretary General Stoltenberg for his trust and friendship. Together, in the last 5 years, we have been through many difficult times, but we have also shared countless achievements with our outstanding team. As I move into a new chapter, I look back with pride on my memorable time in the service of the most important Alliance in history”.

Until a successor is appointed in Geoană’s place, NATO’s assistant secretary general Boris Ruge will serve as a caretaker.