Norway Backs Ex-Prime Minister for NATO Post

OSLO — Norway announced Friday that it has nominated former Prime Minister Kaare Willoch to succeed Britain’s Lord Carrington as NATO secretary general.

“The nomination is official,” said Oeivind Oestang, spokesman for Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland.

Willoch, 58, a conservative who was prime minister from 1981 to 1986, is the first publicly confirmed candidate to succeed Carrington, 68, who plans to step down next June.

Despite his being a member of the opposition Conservative Party, Brundtland’s Labor Party backs him for the influential North Atlantic Treaty Organization post.

A spokesman at NATO headquarters in Brussels said Norway submitted the nomination this week. The NATO allies will select the secretary general from a list of candidates that so far includes only Willoch.

Trusted U.S. Ally

“He is a great Atlanticist,” one NATO diplomat said of Willoch. “He has been head of government and he is known as having a big interest in defense issues.”

A further point in his favor is that he was seen as a trusted ally of the United States when he was prime minister, the diplomat added.

NATO officials stressed however that the search for a successor to Carrington was still in its early stages, although a decision on Willoch could be taken at a scheduled meeting in December of alliance foreign ministers.

According to reports in Brussels, others interested in the job include West German Defense Minister Manfred Woerner and Belgian Foreign Minister Leo Tindemans.

The NATO secretary general, the alliance’s chief civilian official, is a post traditionally held by a European since the chief NATO military commander is always an American.

Up to now, the post of secretary general has been held twice by Britons, once by a Belgian, twice by Dutchmen and once by an Italian.

Key Debate Ahead

Diplomats said the idea of having a secretary general from Norway might appeal to other smaller NATO members who complain that alliance positions on issues are sewn up behind the scenes by the major partners.

NATO officials say the next secretary general would take over at a delicate moment since the alliance will map out plans to reshape its nuclear deterrent in the light of U.S.-Soviet arms control moves.

If, as expected, the superpowers sign an agreement banning intermediate-range nuclear missiles this year, the new chief executive will have to steer a potentially tricky debate in the alliance over future nuclear strategy, officials added.