Romania President Klaus Iohannis addresses the European Parliament, Feb 7, 2024, in Strasbourg, eastern France. (PHOTO / AP)

BUCHAREST - Romanian President Klaus Iohannis announced his decision on Tuesday to run for the position of Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

"I am taking on this candidacy on behalf of Romania," Iohannis said at the Cotroceni Palace, the Presidential Administration's head office.

He emphasized that "it is time for our country to assume even greater responsibility within the Euro-Atlantic leadership structures."

NATO leaders are appointed by consensus, meaning all members must consent to a final decision. The alliance has 32 members following Sweden's recent accession

Romania is one of the allied states allocating 2.5 percent of their gross domestic product for defense, he said.

Born in 1959, Iohannis studied physics at the University of Bucharest before entering politics in the early 2000s. He became Romania's president in 2014 and was re-elected in 2019. 

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Many member states support outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte for NATO's leadership. In February, the United States, Britain, France and Germany backed Rutte to succeed Jens Stoltenberg as the head of NATO, putting him in a strong position to win the leadership of the transatlantic alliance.

On Tuesday, however, Iohannis said he will compete for the post, arguing Eastern European states need better representation in Euro Atlantic leadership roles.

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"I think NATO needs to renew its outlook on its mission. Eastern Europe has a valuable contribution in NATO talks and decisions. With a balanced, strong and influential representation from this region, the Alliance will be able to make the best decisions to answer all member states' needs and concerns."

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NATO leaders are appointed by consensus, meaning all members must consent to a final decision. The alliance has 32 members following Sweden's recent accession.

Diplomats have said Rutte was the only official candidate for the post in the behind-the-scenes contest, although some said Iohannis' name had also been floated in informal discussions.

With Reuters inputs