The first Defense Security Seminar of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) closed?in Beijing on?Saturday. Senior military officers said the seminar was a great success with significant fruits.

During the 10-day meeting, sixteen military officers from China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, discussed regional security and international issues of common concern such as global anti-terrorism situation and the role and future development of the SCO.

At the seminar, which was sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, the foreign officers visited Chinese army, navy and air force to gain a deep view about China.

Major general Zhang Bangdong, head of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Ministry of National Defense, said this seminar had achieved significant results.

Zhang said China would, with joint efforts from other SCO members, push forward regional security cooperation and make it more substantial.

Representatives from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan agreed that the seminar was a new manner to carry out the cooperation in military security for maintaining regional security.

The member states would bring the SCO's role to full play in maintaining regional security and world peace and fighting against the "three forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism, they said.
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(Xinhua News Agency August 1, 2004)