BRUSSELS, October 1. /TASS/. New NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has identified strengthening the alliance, increasing support for Ukraine, and deepening the partnership with the European Union as his top priorities in office.

The first priority is to keep NATO strong and make sure that its defenses remain effective and reliable against all threats. To do that, more forces with better capabilities and faster innovation are needed, which requires investment, he said at a ceremony following his handover as the 14th secretary-general of the alliance.

"Second priority is to step up our support for Ukraine and bring it ever closer to NATO, because there can be no lasting security in Europe without a strong, independent Ukraine," Rutte continued, adding that "Ukraine's rightful place is in NATO."

As his third priority, Rutte cited strengthening the partnership with "the European Union and with countries around the world that share" NATO’s interests and values.