Deputy Secretary General of NATO gives lecture to students at Católica

Radmila Shekerinska, Deputy Secretary General of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation), visited the Institute for Political Studies  (IEP) at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, at its headquarters in Lisbon, on 8 January, where she gave a lecture that allowed IEP students, alumni and teachers to listen to and talk with the Alliance leader, as the meeting featured a lively question and answer session.

‘The Universidade Católica is a place of free thought and defence of European values,’ said President Isabel Capeloa Gil, welcoming Radmila Shekerinska.

Before handing over to the Deputy Secretary General, Mónica Dias, who is also the director of the IEP, emphasised that ‘NATO defends what we also proudly defend: democratic governments under the banner of freedom and personal responsibility, human dignity and the corresponding human rights, which no power should exceed, common defence and security’.

In her speech, Radmila Shekerinska began by emphasising that ‘Portugal is a very important ally for the Alliance’.  ‘It is a founding member and a key ally, not only because of its pioneering spirit and highly competent navy, but also because of its strategic location and the way it is connected to the ocean that links the two continents of this Alliance, Europe and North America,’ she said.

Thanking the country for its commitment to the Atlantic Alliance, she emphasised Portugal's contribution to various NATO missions, maritime defence and support for Ukraine. He also warned of the two threats that are ‘the focus of NATO’: attacks by Russia and instability and terrorism in the Middle East and North Africa. ‘With growing challenges to our security, it is clear that allies must do more to preserve peace,’ he warned.

In this regard, he highlighted the importance of investing in defence and security, focusing on innovation and strengthening the link between businesses and creativity on both sides of the Atlantic, Europe and North America.

‘Preserving peace is one of NATO's functions, but it is not our task alone. We have been a valuable instrument for peace, but not the only one, and I would like to mention our strong cooperation with the European Union,’ she stressed, adding that ‘this partnership is more important than ever for our security and we are truly committed to making it even stronger.’ ‘When we join forces in different areas, we are able to more effectively address the many challenges we face,’ argued Radmila Shekerinska.

For Teresa Duarte Fernandes, a master's student in Political Science and International Relations: Security and Defence, participating in this meeting was a must. ‘Católica allows us to have unique opportunities like this, to interact and be able to raise our issues directly with people who play such a leading role in our global security,’ she said.

‘As a woman who wants to pursue a career in defence, seeing more women who are as inspiring as the Deputy Secretary-General, among others, shows us students that we can get there,’ she added.

In addition to her visit to Católica, during her trip to Portugal on 7 and 8 January, Radmila Shekerinska held meetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel, the Minister of Defence, Nuno Melo, and the President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Marcos Perestrello. She also visited the Alliance's facilities in Portugal and participated in the Diplomatic Seminar.