The meeting of the defense ministers of the participating countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will be held in Astana on April 26. “The arrival of the heads of the defense departments of the SCO member states, its Secretary General, the director of the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the organization and the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Belarus,” said in a press service of the Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan .
The event is organized within the framework of Kazakhstan's presidency of the SCO. “The activities of the meeting are aimed at strengthening confidence-building measures in the military area, assistance in ensuring peace and stability in the area of responsibility, coordinating efforts aimed at countering new challenges and threats to regional security,” the ministry.
SCO was founded in 2001 in Shanghai. The organization currently includes Russia, Iran, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan. Afghanistan, Belarus and Mongolia are observers. Another 14 countries are partners in the organization's dialogue.
Kazakhstan chairs the Shanghai Cooperation Organization from July 5, 2023 to June 2024. A summit of the association is planned for July 3-4 in Astana.