Serbian government's adviser Franco Frattini to become NATO secretary-general?

(Franco Frattini)

Italy's former foreign minister and current adviser to the Serbian government, Franco Frattini, will almost certainly become the next secretary-general of NATO, the Vienna daily Presse writes.

In its report, the newspaper points out that Frattini had for months "openly offered himself for the post."

According to these rumors, there are other strong competitors such as Belgian Minister of Defense Pieter de Crem, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski.

For a while German Interior Minister Thomas de Meziere was also on this list.

But the Vienna daily speculates that Frattini "has most likely won the race, and his appointment is currently regarded as almost certain."