This announcement was made by Jens Stoltenberg to the acting Minister for Defence, Pedro Morenés, during a telephone conversation on Monday morning. This decision by the Secretary-General means that a Spaniard once again holds a position of extraordinary importance within the organisation; something that has not happened since 2001 when Juan Martínez Esparza was appointed Assistant Secretary General for Infrastructure, Logistics and Civil Emergency Planning.
Alejandro Alvargonzalez, a career diplomat, has held the post of Secretary-General for Defence Policy since January 2012, when he was appointed by Pedro Morenés following his work as Spanish Ambassador to Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The appointment of Alejandro Alvargonzalez to this post significantly boosts his personal career and Spain's commitment to NATO and its allies, and also increases Spain's importance on the international stage.
Through NATO, Spain is currently involved in the defence missions taking place in Turkey and Afghanistan, is a member of the Standing Maritime Group Nº 1, and leads the new NATO "Spearhead Force" - the organisation's main rapid response force.
Ministerio de Defensa