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Jun 7, 2012 SCO members launch joint anti-terrorism exercise in Tajikistan

Posted by KJ on



Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states began their routine week-long joint military exercise in Tajikistan on Friday.

Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan dispatched more than 2,000 people for the multilateral anti-terrorism training exercise in Khujand, the second largest city in Tajikistan. The Chinese side sent out 369 soldiers to participate.

The joint drill, named “Peace Mission 2012,” will last until June 14. It is the ninth joint exercise since the founding of the group.

The SCO was designed to promote cooperation between its six members. Uzbekistan, which is also a member of the group, is not taking part in the action.

The routine practice aims at jointly improving training and cooperation among the armed forces of SCO members, effectively deterring terrorism, separatism and extremism while also aiming to maintain regional peace and stability, according to an official statement.

“Defense and security cooperation is just one of the many cooperative projects of the SCO. More similar large-scale anti-terrorism exercises will be staged in the future, wherever possible. In the meantime, new training programs may be added to the anti-terrorism exercises,” said Qian Lihua, chief of the Foreign Affairs Office of China’s Ministry of Defense.