DUSHANBE, April 2, 2014, Asia-Plus – Expansion of military and technical cooperation between member nations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was a major topic of a meeting of the SCO Defense Ministers’ Council that took place in the Tajik northern city of Qairoqqum on April 1, according to the Ministry of Defense of Tajikistan (MoD).

The meeting participants included Tajik Defense Minister Sherali Mirzo, Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan, Kazakh Defense Minister Adilbek Jaksybekov, Kyrgyz Defense Minister Taalaybek Omuraliyev, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and Uzbek First Deputy Defense Minister Bakhodir Toshmatov.

The sides also discussed issues related to the current situation in Syria and Ukraine as well as providing stability and security in Afghanistan in connection with withdrawal of international coalition forces from there by the end of this year.

The meeting participants also exchanged views on maintaining security and stability in the Eurasian region.   

They also discussed preparations for a joint anti-terrorism military exercise, dubbed Peace Mission 2014, which will be conducted in China this year.

Founded by the leaders of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on June 15, 2001, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental organization.  Except for Uzbekistan, the other countries had been members of the Shanghai Five; after the inclusion of Uzbekistan in 2001, the members renamed the organization.

The Organization currently has six full members -- China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Mongolia, Iran, Pakistan and India are four observer states, and SCO’s dialogue partners include Belarus, Sri Lanka and Turkey.