The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies on Wednesday selected Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as NATO's next boss.

"The North Atlantic Council decided to appoint Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the next Secretary General of NATO, succeeding Jens Stoltenberg," the alliance said in a statement, adding that he would take over on October 1.

Stoltenberg on Wednesday praised his successor, Rutte, as a "true transatlanticist, strong leader and consensus-builder."

Rutte's appointment became a formality after his only rival for the post, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, announced last week that he had quit the race, having failed to gain traction.

(With input from agencies)