To NATO and Beyond: A Conversation with Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia Radmila Shekerinska

Introduction

• Dr. Karen Donfried, President, The German Marshall Fund of the United States

Speaker

• Her Excellency Radmila Shekerinska, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Republic of North Macedonia

Moderator

• Dr. Evelyn Farkas, Resident Senior Fellow, The German Marshall Fund of the United States

On the eve of the 70th anniversary of NATO, membership in the alliance is within reach for North Macedonia. Following the settlement of the longstanding name dispute with Greece, the country has started the NATO accession process. Against this backdrop, The German Marshall Fund of the United States invites you to a conversation with Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister of North Macedonia Radmila Shekerinska and GMF Senior Fellow Evelyn Farkas to discuss opportunities and challenges that lie ahead on the path to NATO membership and deeper Euro-Atlantic integration.

The discussion will explore the next steps for North Macedonia as it seeks to become a full NATO member, and consider how it can advance democratic reforms, while aligning its defense posture and spending targets to meet NATO standards. Moreover, the conversation will look at how NATO allies can work with Skopje to counter malign influences, including Russia, seeking to destabilize North Macedonia and block its ambitious transatlantic integration agenda.

Part One:

Part Two: