Hosted by Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan, six defense ministers from the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) gathered in Beijing on
Wednesday for regional security talks.
The six SCO member countries agreed to stage a joint anti-terror
military exercise in 2007 in Russia, according to a joint
communiqué? signed in the wake of the SCO defense ministers'
meeting involving China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan
and Uzbekistan.
An expert group will be set up to coordinate preparation and
implementation of the joint anti terror military exercise, the
communiqué explained.?
Except Uzbekistan the other five countries of the SCO held their
first-ever joint anti-terror exercise within the framework of the
SCO in August 2003 with the first phase in Kazakhstan and the
second in China.
"This defense ministers meeting will review the past and
exchange views on issues of common concern," Chinese Defense
Minister, Cao Gangchuan, said in his opening address Wednesday
morning.
Ten years ago China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and
Tajikistan, known as the "Shanghai Five", met in Shanghai and
reached an agreement on the buildup of mutual-trust in the military
field along the border regions, Cao said.
The "Shanghai Five" evolved into the SCO in 2001 by adding
Uzbekistan as a member. Now the group is the only international
organization named after a Chinese city.
The five visiting defense ministers to the meeting were
Kyrgyzstan's Ismail Isakov, Russsia's Sergei Ivanov, Tajikistan's
Sherali Khairullaev, Uzbekistan's Ruslan Mirzayevare and
Kazakhstan's B. Darbekov.
The defense ministers are expected to discuss regional security
issues, including the fight against the "three forces" of
separatism, terrorism and extremism and other issues of common
concern.
A string of one-on-one meetings between defense ministers are
also scheduled.
(Xinhua News Agency April 26, 2006)