6 March 2026 13:06 UTC · NATO · NATO News · Source · Email X Link

NATO says Japan cooperation key ahead of Ankara summit

Key points

Radmila Shekerinska praises Japan for 2% defence spending
NATO seeks defence industrial, space and innovation cooperation with Japan

TL;DR

Radmila Shekerinska visited Tokyo on 5–6 March 2026 and met government officials, parliamentarians and industry representatives.
Shekerinska praised Japan for increasing defence spending to 2% of GDP and said Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic security are closely interconnected, noting China’s support to Russia’s defence industrial base.
NATO previewed Ankara summit priorities: increase Allied defence investment, boost defence production, continue support to Ukraine, and deepen defence industrial, space and innovation cooperation with Japan.

Original text

Create an account Reset password Already have an account? Log in From now on you can download videos from our website If you would also like to subscribe to the newsletter and receive our latest updates, click on the button below. Enter the email address you registered with and we will send you a code to reset your password. The password must be at least 12 characters long, no spaces, include upper/lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. Click the button to return to the page you were on and log in with your new password. 06 March 2026 2 MIN READ NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska and Minister of Defence of Japan Koizumi Shinjiro On 5 and 6 March 2026, NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska visited Tokyo, Japan, meeting government officials, parliamentarians and industry representatives. During her visit, Ms Shekerinska met Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Sato Kei, Minister of Defence Koizumi Shinjiro, Vice-Minister of Defense for International Affairs Kano Koji, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Kunimitsu Ayano, and State Minister of Economic, Trade and Industry Ino Toshiro. The Deputy Secretary General praised Japan for increasing defence spending to 2% of its GDP and for its efforts to adapt to a more dangerous security environment. She highlighted that Russia’s war against Ukraine demonstrates how the security of the Indo-Pacific and the Euro-Atlantic are closely interconnected, noting that China is supporting Russia’s defence industrial base directly and indirectly, sending Moscow tools and materials to fuel its war. Ms Shekerinska thanked Japan for its support to Ukraine, especially through NATO’s Comprehensive Assistance Package (CAP), and underlined that in a more volatile security environment, it is essential that NATO cooperates with capable and like-minded partners. She emphasised key priority areas for NATO’s partnership with Japan, including defence industrial cooperation, space and innovation. Speaking at an event, “The road to the NATO summit in Ankara,” co-hosted by Norway and Romania as NATO Contact Point Embassies, and the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA), Ms Shekerinska previewed the priorities for the upcoming Summit in Ankara, where NATO will take stock of the progress on increasing Allied defence investment, boosting defence production, and continuing support to Ukraine. While European Allies and Canada have made progress in defence spending, the Deputy Secretary General emphasised the importance of spending and producing more across the Alliance to ensure NATO’s forces have the necessary capabilities to keep its citizens safe. During her visit, the Deputy Secretary General also met members of the Japanese parliament, the National Diet. She visited the site of the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 system (PAC-3), Atsugi Air Base, and the Japanese radar-imaging company Synspective. Link was copied to clipboard GALLERIES NATO Deputy Secretary General visits Japan 06 March 2026 1 / 8 NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska meets with Shinjirō Koizumi, Minister of Defence of Japan NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska meets with Kei Sato, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska meets with Shinjirō Koizumi, Minister of Defence of Japan NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska meets with Kei Sato, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska meets with Ayano Kunimitsu, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska visits the Atsugi Air Base NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska visits Synspective NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska visits Synspective Back VIEW METADATA VIEW IMAGE Assets details Description Creation date Location Themes Reference Resolution Aspect radio Format Usage right Credit

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NATO
Japan Institute Of International Affairs
Synspective
National Diet
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