The first Defense Security Seminar of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO) closed in Beijing
on Saturday. Senior military officers said the seminar was a
great success with significant fruits.
During the 10-day meeting, sixteen military officers from China,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan,
discussed regional security and international issues of common
concern such as global anti-terrorism situation and the role and
future development of the SCO.
At the seminar, which was sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of
National Defense, the foreign officers visited Chinese army, navy
and air force to gain a deep view about China.
Major general Zhang Bangdong, head of the Foreign Affairs Office
of the Ministry of National Defense, said this seminar had achieved
significant results.
Zhang said China would, with joint efforts from other SCO
members, push forward regional security cooperation and make it
more substantial.
Representatives from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan
and Uzbekistan agreed that the seminar was a new manner to carry
out the cooperation in military security for maintaining regional
security.
The member states would bring the SCO's role to full play in
maintaining regional security and world peace and fighting against
the "three forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism, they
said.
(Xinhua News Agency August 1, 2004)