NATO chief and former prime minister Jens Stoltenberg is among the applicants for the position of central bank governor.
The Ministry of Finance published the list of applicants on Tuesday morning. A total of 22 people have applied for the position of the new governor of Norges Bank.
There has been great speculation in Norwegian media over whether the Secretary-General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, will be among the applicants.
The newspaper Dagens Næringsliv wrote earlier this autumn that Stoltenberg, according to their sources, would accept the job if he gets the offer.
Stoltenberg was tight-lipped when NTB asked him to comment on the rumors at a press conference at the end of November.
“When it comes to my future in Norway, this is not the time to comment on it. This is something I want to address when the time comes for me to go back to Norway,” he said.
The former Prime Minister and Labor Party leader took over as NATO chief on October 1, 2014. He is set to leave the position on September 30, 2022.
Stoltenberg: Very motivated
On Tuesday, Stoltenberg confirmed that he had applied for the job.
“I was contacted by the Ministry of Finance in November. They asked if I would consider applying for the position. I have now done that, and I am very motivated to get the job,” Stoltenberg said in a statement via his press contact.
Stoltenberg added that the ministry has clarified that his background as former prime minister and secretary-general of NATO does not conflict with the central bank’s rules on who can hold this position.
“I have made it clear to the Ministry of Finance that if I get the position, it will not be possible for me to join until my term in NATO expires on October 1, 2022.”
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayFinance
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