From 4-5 May 2026, NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska visited Athens to highlight Greece's valuable contributions to the Alliance. Delivering a keynote speech at Defence Exhibition Athens (DEFEA), Ms Shekerinska emphasised the role of industry in keeping NATO's citizens safe.
The Deputy Secretary General said that in a more dangerous world, investing more in defence is important to ensure NATO's deterrence and defence remains strong and credible. Ms Shekerinska outlined that investing more in defence directly relates to ramping up transatlantic industrial cooperation to produce the capabilities NATO needs. To further enhance transatlantic security, she called for a stronger Europe within a stronger NATO. The Deputy Secretary General highlighted that NATO Allies are enhancing cooperation in defence industrial production, working with the European Union, Indo-Pacific partners, as well as Ukraine. NATO is also learning valuable lessons from Ukraine and Allies are producing capabilities in cooperation with Ukraine and investing directly in its defence industry. She concluded by outlining the priorities for the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara, saying Allies will gather to take stock of progress on increased defence spending, accelerated defence production, and continued support to Ukraine.
During her trip, the Deputy Secretary General met with Defence Minister Nikos Dendias and Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandra Papadopoulou. She also attended a dinner hosted by the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP).
