The military chiefs of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) agreed in Shanghai on Monday to strengthen defense cooperation.

Chen Bingde, chief of the general staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, hosts a meeting of military chiefs of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) members in Shanghai, April 25, 2011.[Wang Ye/Xinhua]

The military chiefs gathered in Shanghai on Monday afternoon for the first meeting of its kind in SCO's history to review SCO cooperation in defense and security and exchange views on the international and regional situation.

Chen Bingde, chief of the general staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, chaired the meeting.

He acknowledged the successful results achieved by SCO member states in defense and security, as made evident by increased mutual trust between military leaders, improved laws and regulations, and effective joint anti-terrorism exercises.

"The SCO member states have made an important contribution to lasting peace and common prosperity in the region," Chen said.

All SCO member states should work together to achieve mutual security and address common challenges, Chen said, calling on the armed forces in these countries to actively implement the cooperation programs between the national defense ministries in line with the consensus of the heads of state.

Attending the meeting were Saken Zhasuzakov, first deputy defence minister and chief of the staff of Kazakhstan's Armed Forces; Taalaibek Omuraliev, first deputy defence minister and chief of the general staff of the Kyrgyz Armed Forces; Nikolai Makarov, first deputy defence minister and chief of the general staff of the Russian Armed Forces; Ramil Khalilovich Nadirov, first deputy defense minister and chief of the staff of Tajikistan's Armed Forces and Rustam Niyazov, Uzbek Deputy Defense Minister.

Founded in 2001, the SCO consists of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.