The six-nation Shanghai Co-operation Organization (SCO) yesterday agreed to
hold joint anti-terrorism military exercises next year in Russia as their
defence ministers vowed to improve regional security.
The plan was announced in a joint communique issued
after a one-day Defence Ministers' Meeting of the SCO, which groups China,
Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Defence Minister Cao
Gangchuan (centre, front row), Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov
(front row, left), their counterparts from the member states of the
Shanghai Co-operation Organization and other officials at a photo session
in Beijing April 26, 2006 after a Defence Ministers' Meeting. [China
Daily] |
The joint
drills will be staged in the Volga-Ural military district of Russia, the
country's Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov told a press conference following the
meeting.
He said the exercises were proposed by Russia and that troops from the six
SCO member states would participate the first to involve all member countries.
The SCO countries, except Uzbekistan, held their first joint anti-terror
military drills in August 2003, with the first phase in Kazakhstan and the
second in China.
"The exact date, objectives and scale of the exercises will be determined by
staff members and troop officers of the six countries," Ivanov told reporters,
adding that the drills would involve the air forces, special forces and
high-tech weapons.
The joint communique said an expert group would be set up to co-ordinate the
preparation and implementation of the war games.
Russia's Itar-Tass news agency later quoted Ivanov as saying the exercises
could simulate one member country being attacked by armed groups, with the other
countries in the organization coming to its aid.
"The armed forces of SCO member states should, if needed, help neighbouring
nations block and possibly destroy large armed groups," Ivanov said, according
to Itar-Tass. "The threat of SCO borders being crossed by armed groups is
absolutely real."
Chinese Defence Minister Cao Gangchuan stressed that the planned military
exercises are not aimed at any third country.
"We want to reiterate here that defence co-operation among SCO member states
neither targets any other country or international organization nor hurts the
interests of a third country," Cao said.