NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg steps down on Tuesday after 10 testing years for the Western military alliance's unity and purpose. Stoltenberg will hand over to former Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte with a wreath-laying ceremony and an official handshake at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

Jens Stoltenberg is leaving NATO in early October. The Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization can use his many years of experience in his new position, which is also related to international security.

He will be succeeded by Mark Rutte, former Prime Minister of the Netherlands. Jens Stoltenberg became NATO Secretary General in October 2014. As a former Prime Minister of Norway and UN Special Envoy, Stoltenberg has a track record of domestic and international achievements, spanning security, defense, climate, energy, and economics.