ASTANA – A regular meeting of the defence ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation took place in the Kazakh capital June 8, the Defence Ministry of Kazakhstan reported.
Minister of Defence of Kazakhstan Imangali Tasmagambetov, Minister of Defence and State Councillor of China Chang Wanquan, Chairman of the State Committee for Defence of Kyrgyzstan General Marat Emil Kenzhesariev, Minister of Defence of Russia Army General Sergei Shoigu, Minister of Defence of Tajikistan General Sherali Mirzo and First Deputy Minister of Defence and Chief of the General Staff of the Defence Ministry of Uzbekistan General Shaukat Normatov participated the event.
SCO Deputy Secretary-General Sabyr Imandosov and Deputy Director of Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure Zhou Qing also participated.
The ministers discussed international and regional security and noted the high level of mutual understanding between SCO states.
The participants emphasised the importance of coordinated actions to strengthen stability and security on the territory of the member states of the organisation.
The ministers highly evaluated the actions of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in the fight against international terrorism in Syria and its assistance to the Syrian people, including demining liberated cities.
They expressed confidence in continuing cooperation and dialogue between SCO member states.
According to the statement, the SCO implements its projects in cooperation with other regional and international organisations
The ministers also discussed participating in the joint anti-terrorist military command-and-staff exercise “Peace mission – 2016.” The exercise is meant to help fight terrorism, extremism and separatism.
The ministers will meet again in 2017 in Kazakhstan. The sides signed a joint communiqué on the results of the meeting.
