Dushanbe. July 28. INTERFAX-Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu named the key tasks that need to be solved within the SCO to ensure common security.
"Under the current conditions, the relevance of practical cooperation between the defense departments of the participating countries, the creation of effective tools to ensure common security in the SCO area of responsibility has significantly increased," Shoigu said on Wednesday at a meeting of defense ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member countries.
To this end, he invited his colleagues to focus on the implementation of a number of key tasks.
"The first one. To develop mechanisms for the exchange of information in the field of military security and experience in countering terrorism within the SCO, as well as to maintain regular contacts through the general staffs," Shoigu said.
He recalled that an expert working group under the SCO CFR was established five years ago.
"It is necessary to continue setting up this mechanism of cooperation, fill it with practical content, show more initiative when forming a list of issues considered by experts," Shoigu said.
He suggested " expanding the geography of military cooperation events and strengthening their information coverage."
The second task, according to Shoigu, is to improve the training of troops and the practice of conducting joint exercises "Peaceful Mission", during which it is necessary to work out ways to counter new tactical techniques used by international terrorists.
"In particular, the issues of combating unmanned aerial vehicles, ensuring information security, preventing terrorist attacks using chemical and biological weapons," the minister said.
"Third. To increase the level of cooperation of the SCO on security issues with third countries and international organizations," Shoigu said.
"To do this, we should work out the possibility and acceptable forms of joint use of the anti-crisis potentials of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Collective Security Treaty Organization," the Russian Defense Minister said.
According to him, it is important to expand the format of participation in the SCO exercises by attracting military contingents and observers of friendly countries and regional organizations - the CSTO and the CIS. "If necessary, we should prepare an appropriate legal framework for this," Shoigu said.
