Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Chang
Wanquan attends the SCO defense chiefs meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on June
26, 2013. Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) defense chiefs pledged
Wednesday to enhance coordination in maintaining regional peace and fighting
terrorism and organized crime. (Xinhua/Guan Jianwu)
BISHKEK, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) defense
chiefs pledged Wednesday to enhance coordination in maintaining regional peace
and fighting terrorism and organized crime.
The pledge came in a
communique released after a one-day meeting of defense department leaders of
China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan,and Uzbekistan
here.
According to the communique, the SCO defense chiefs also agreed to
strengthen cooperation in crushing separatism, extremism, and drug-trafficking
based on their share of responsibilities.
They believed threats from
terrorist activities on the basis of telecommunication and information
technologies were growing, thus the members should continue to step up their
defense and security cooperation within the framework of the SCO and make the
region an area of lasting peace, prosperity and development.
The
ministers also approved a cooperation plan for the SCO defense ministries
between the year 2014 and 2015, and talked over preparations for a joint
military exercise next year in China.
Chinese Defense Minister Chang
Wanquan told the meeting, since the first meeting of the SCO defense chiefs,
leaders of the defense departments of the SCO members had exchanged views over
major problems concerning international and regional security situations,
coordinated key issues regarding enhancing defense security cooperation, and
planned for future cooperation.
Chang, also a state councilor, said the
meetings played a positive and important role in promoting a healthy development
of the organization, friendship between members, and regional security,
stability and development.
Through many years of hard work, the SCO
members had seen their mutual trust in military affairs increasing, while the
"three evil forces" of extremism, terrorism and separatism had been
substantially curbed and regional security had been improved, Chang
said.
He warned all members should have a clear understanding of the new
threats and challenges confronting the region.
The Chinese general said
China would as always attach great importance to the SCO defense security
cooperation.
He also urged the defense ministries to carry through
consensus reached by the heads of states of SCO members, and promote the
build-up of defense security cooperation mechanisms.
On the sidelines of
the conference, Chang also held separate meetings with the delegation chiefs of
Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, in which they exchanged views on
bilateral ties and other topics of common concern.
(Editor:LiangJun、Zhang Qian)