The ongoing "Peace Mission 2007" anti-terror joint drill,
sponsored by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), will
target the "three evil forces" but will not push SCO into a
military alliance, Chinese and Russian experts said on
Saturday.
"To crack down on the 'three evil forces' - terrorism,
separatism and extremism - is a key aspect of defense and security
cooperation among SCO members and the joint exercise reflected its
long-existing stance," said Pan Guang, director of a Shanghai-based
SCO study center.
"To enhance multilateral cooperation in a bid to maintain
regional security and stability has been a priority in SCO
cooperation since the organization was established in June 2001,"
Pan said, noting the SCO has taken substantial steps in such fields
as signing protocols and setting up anti-terrorism branches.
Witnessing a generally stable situation and remarkable progress
in the political, economic and social spheres, Central Asian was
still facing challenges posed by the "three evil forces" and other
threats.
"Given such a situation, it's important to deepen security
cooperation among SCO members, improve their anti-terrorism
capability and upgrade cooperation mechanism," he said.
The military exercise, however, will not direct at any third
party and conforms with the interest of all the six members, namely
China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
"It means the SCO cooperation in the defense field will not turn it
into a military alliance," Pan said.
Russian commander Vladimir Moltenskoi said the exercise will
take a new step in the training of armed forces of SCO members "for
jointly combating the threats of terrorism, separatism and
religious extremism existing in the region."
It will "demonstrate that the SCO and armed forces of its
members have all possibilities for ensuring stability and security
in the region," Itar-Tass news agency quoted Moltenskoi as
saying.
The exercise, involving about 6,500 troops and 80 aircraft, has
started the first training session in the Chebarkul range near the
Ural Mountain city of Chelyabinsk on Saturday.
Chiefs of staff of the armed forces of the six member nations
ordered the launches of the long-prepared anti-terror drill by
various troops on Thursday, following strategic consultations in
Urumqi, capital of China's northwest Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous
Region.
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The joint anti-terror drill, the first of its kind involving
military forces from all SCO members, will be observed by heads of
states of the six nations on Aug. 17.
(Xinhua News Agency August 13, 2007)
