Insisting his job was to make NATO fit for the "turbulence and troubles of the century ahead of us", Britain's Defence Secretary, Mr George Robertson, spoke yesterday of his pride at being appointed NATO's next secretary-general.
His appointment, which was never in doubt after he entered the race in recent days, was confirmed after a meeting of ambassadors of NATO's 19 member-states in Brussels. Mr Robertson will take over from the present secretary-general, Mr Javier Solana, when he steps down in September or October to head the EU's foreign and security policy.
The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, who nominated the Defence Secretary for the post, was "delighted" at Mr Robertson's appointment. "George Robertson has all the qualities to make a success of this important job. NATO could not be in better hands as the alliance enters the new millennium," he said.
There was praise too from the Conservatives. The shadow defence secretary, Mr Iain Duncan Smith, said NATO had a vital military role to play in the world that was being undermined by the British government's efforts to establish an exclusively European defence capability.
The Liberal Democrat defence spokesman, Mr Menzies Campbell, said Mr Robertson's appointment would go some way to addressing the fears that British politicians were being overlooked in important international positions. After only two years in government, Mr Robertson's reputation for straight talking has propelled him onto the international stage to become NATO's 10th leader in its 50-year history. He takes over at a time when NATO forces are struggling to bring stability to Kosovo and as the EU refines its development of a common foreign and security policy.
His appointment will mean a "mini-shuffle" in the British government. His successor is expected to be the current Scottish Secretary, Dr John Reid.
On the by-election, and the Scottish National Party's predictions of success, Mr Robertson said that having rejected the nationalists in the past six elections, voters would be "unlikely to seek their salvation for the future in nationalism again".
He believed he was appointed because of his "plain common sense" and "dogged determination" in government. He said one of his first tasks would be improving NATO's relations with Russia. That relationship was exposed as dangerously fragile earlier this week after reports of a disagreement between Britain's commander of Kfor, Lieut. Gen. Sir Michael Jackson, and NATO's Supreme Commander, Gen. Wesley Clark, over plans to send troops to block the advance of Russian soldiers at Pristina airport.