Military delegations from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member nations yesterday arrived in Russia’s Chelyabinsk oblast to discuss the "Peace Mission 2018" anti-terror war game that will take place at the Chebarkulsky training ground in August this year.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry’s official website, the military representatives of India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the People's Republic of China, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan got consent on the concept of the exercise, the plan of practical actions, as well as the strength of forces and means involved.
The “Peace Mission” anti-terror drill is conducted under the framework of the SCO's Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), which is headquartered in Tashkent (Uzbekistan) once every two years.
The “Peace Mission 2018” anti-terror war game is reportedly aimed at bolstering counter-terror cooperation among the member countries. It will see joint mock drills to eliminate terrorists and their networks, and interventions in hostage situations.
The SCO was founded at a Summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization currently has eight full members — China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, India, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia are four observer states, and SCO’s dialogue partners include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey. ACEAN, CIS, Turkmenistan and the United Nations are guest attendances.
