North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Courtesy call on Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary SATO Kei by H.E. Radmila Shekerinska, NATO Deputy Secretary General
March 5, 2026
On March 5, commencing at 2:00 p.m. for approximately 30 minutes, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary SATO received a courtesy call from H.E. Radmila Shekerinska, Deputy Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), who is visiting Japan at the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. The overview of the courtesy call is as follows:
- At the outset, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary SATO welcomed Deputy Secretary General Shekerinska’s visit to Japan and stated that, at a time when the free, open, and stable international order is being greatly shaken, Japan places importance on cooperation with the ally and like-minded countries and expressed the expectation that this visit would lead to further strengthening of Japan–NATO relations. In response, Deputy Secretary General Shekerinska, while highly valuing that Japan–NATO cooperation is becoming increasingly intense, expressed appreciation for Japan's cooperation with NATO including its support for Ukraine through NATO.
- The two sides exchanged views on regional affairs including the Indo-Pacific and concurred to further deepen cooperative relations in a wide range of fields including defense equipment and industrial cooperation.
- Furthermore, the two sides confirmed that Japan and NATO, as well as NATO and the Indo-Pacific partners (IP4: Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea), will continue to work closely together on the various challenges facing the international community.