Bulgaria's Solomon Passy has as many chances to become the new NATO Secretary General as any of the other candidates, the Alliance's spokesperson, James Appathurai, said Friday.

Appathurai made the statement during a video-conference with Bulgarian journalists. He said that the final selection was most likely going to become known around the time of the NATO summit in April in Strasbourg.

The NATO summit will mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Alliance and will be a celebration of the return of France in the NATO structures since leaving them in 1966.

The summit will begin with 26 Member States and end with 28 because Albania and Croatia will join the Alliance during the summit. Two poles to hoist the flags of the new members have already been mounted in front of the NATO headquarters in Brussels.

Appathurai further said that it was expected NATO would ask its members to send more armed forces in Afghanistan.

Regarding Passy's nomination the spokesperson said:

"There is no political or other reason that could be an obstacle to any country to nominate their own candidate. Any candidate will receive the same consideration as the others. But final decision is as much of a secret to me as to you."