The Chapter of Orders has decided to award the Order to Stoltenberg for special contributions to the Latvian state.
Stoltenberg has been NATO Secretary General since 2014. His term was due to expire in 2022, but this was changed by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. NATO members agreed that it would be unwise to change the head of the alliance during such a crisis, so they persuaded Stoltenberg to stay on for another year, later extending his term by another year.
Stoltenberg has made it clear that NATO will support Ukraine and will work to strengthen the security of all NATO members, but he has also stressed that NATO wants to avoid direct armed conflict with Russia, which would entail huge sacrifices.
