NATO Deputy Secretary General reaffirms strategic partnership with Japan during high level Tokyo visit

NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska visits Tokyo to discuss defense spending, satellite technology, and the upcoming 2026 Ankara Summit.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 6, 2026, 8:54 AM EST

Source: The information in this article was sourced from NATO

Strategic alignment in the Indo-Pacific

During her visit on March 5 and 6, 2026, NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska engaged in extensive consultations with senior Japanese officials, including Defense Minister Koizumi Shinjiro and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Kunimitsu Ayano. Shekerinska commended the government of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for its decision to accelerate defense spending targets, reaching the 2% GDP benchmark two years ahead of the original 2027 schedule. This fiscal shift is part of Japan’s broader strategy to modernize its military capabilities, including the deployment of long range standoff missiles and the development of the "Shield" coastal defense network.

Interconnected security and Ukraine support

A central theme of the discussions was the inseparable nature of security across the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions. Shekerinska highlighted that the ongoing conflict in Ukraine has global ramifications, noting that external actors are increasingly supporting Russia’s defense industrial base. She expressed NATO’s gratitude for Japan’s consistent support for Ukraine, particularly through the Comprehensive Assistance Package (CAP). This cooperation is seen as vital for maintaining a rules based international order in a more volatile global security environment, where traditional and emerging threats are increasingly intertwined.

Innovation and defense industry cooperation

The visit included a strong focus on technological and industrial partnerships. Shekerinska visited the Yamato Technology Center of Synspective, a Japanese synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite company that recently secured a major contract for the Ministry of Defense’s Satellite Constellation Project. The Deputy Secretary General emphasized that space and innovation are key priority areas for the NATO-Japan partnership. By leveraging private sector expertise in satellite intelligence and AI driven target recognition, Japan is enhancing its maritime domain awareness and deterrence posture, areas where NATO seeks closer interoperability with its Indo-Pacific partners.