NATO deputy chief replaces Stoltenberg at weekend's ministerial meeting

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) - NATO Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Geoana will replace alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg at the meeting of foreign ministers in Berlin after he had tested positive for COVID-19, according to the official program published on Wednesday.

Geoana will chair the informal meeting of top NATO diplomats held on Saturday and Sunday in the German capital.

Stoltenberg's office announced on Tuesday that he had been diagnosed with COVID-19 and works from home in line with Belgian health measures.

The foreign ministers are expected to discuss the recent developments of the Russia-Ukraine war, as well as NATO's long-term reforms in response to the changing security environment.