DUSHANBE
, May 3, Asia-Plus –
China
’s Defense Ministry has allotted 15 million yuan, which equals more than 1 million U.S. dollars, in technical assistance to the Tajik Defense Ministry, according to information from the Tajik Ministry of Defense (MoD).
The MoD source says that on the sidelines of his visit to
China
[on April 26-27 to attend a meeting of the council of defense ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)], Tajik Defense Minister, Colonel-General Sherali Khairulloyev, met with his Chinese counterpart, Cao Gangchuan, in
Beijing
on April 27.
During the meeting the two discussed a wide range of issues relating to mutually beneficial cooperation. The sides commended the discussion of Tajik-Chinese cooperation areas in developing military collaboration in the exchange of information and experience, in the fight against terrorism, the training of personnel, and technical aid to the young Tajik army. The sides agreed that number of Tajik military cadets studying in
China
would increase and this year it would amount to 30 people (Last year, this number amounted to 20 people).
At the end of the meeting, the Chinese Defense Ministry gave 15 million yuan (equivalent to more than 1 million U.S. dollars) in technical assistance to the Tajik Defense Ministry.
We will recall that an April 26 SCO defense ministers’ session in
Beijing
discussed issues related to regional and international security, objectives and goals of the SCO defense ministries on countering new challenges, international terrorism, extremism and separatism.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) groups
China
,
Kazakhstan
,
Kyrgyzstan
,
Russia
,
Tajikistan
and
Uzbekistan
.
Mongolia
,
Iran
,
India
and
Pakistan
have observer status at the SCO.
