NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg will take over as Norway’s central bank Governor at the end of the year, officials said on Friday, a controversial choice that has already raised concerns about the bank’s independence.
The appointment comes amid escalating tensions between the West and Russia. Western nations fear Moscow has plans to invade Ukraine, which aspires to join the NATO alliance.
But Mr. Stoltenberg, a 62-year-old trained economist, insisted on Friday he would stay on as NATO Secretary General until the end of his term in October.
“Until my mandate at NATO ends on October 1, I will devote all my strength and attention to leading the Alliance”, he told a press conference in Norway via video link.
“It’s absolutely necessary at a time when Europe and North America must stand together”, he added.
The central bank and finance ministry said he would take over “around December 1”.
Norway’s central bank determines monetary policy but also manages the country’s enormous sovereign wealth fund, the biggest in the world.