NATO Deputy Secretary-General Sekerinska Addresses Conference in Sweden

NATO Deputy Secretary-General Radmila Sekerinska, in her address to a conference in Sweden on the topic “Forging ahead: NATO’s strategic vision under new leadership”, said integration into the Alliance was not always an easy process.

According to her, North Macedonia’s experience proves that, while Sweden, too, following serious challenges, is now part of NATO.

Regarding the name dispute with Greece, she said though her country had spent 30 years in NATO’s waiting room and disagreements with the southern neighbour looked unbridgeable, leadership had been key when it came to the Prespa Agreement. In that regard, the former Defence Minister of North Macedonia stated that though a political price had been paid over Prespa, NATO membership had brought regional stability, too.

According to Sekerinska, Russia remains the biggest security threat to the Alliance, which is why NATO should increase defence costs. The Deputy Secretary-General praised Sweden, saying even though it was the youngest NATO member, its plans were to increase defence costs to 2.6% of the GDP by 2028.