SCO Activities Not Aimed Against Third Country

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Member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization say the regional grouping's activities are not directed against any third countries. Russian and Chinese Defense Ministers Anatoly Serdyukov and Cao Gangchuan made the comment today at a meeting of SCO defense ministers in Bishkek.

"We do not consider the SCO to be a bloc opposing someone. This is an organization created with a completely different task -- to combat terrorism and nothing else," Serdyukov said.

Tajik Defense Minister Sherali Khayrulloev, for his part, addressed the situation in Afghanistan, which he said was becoming more and more complicated.

He said any lull in fighting was only because of the harvest -- a reference to the opium poppies widely grown in Afghanistan -- and that he expected militants from Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan to renew activities from July.

The SCO also includes Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan.

Today's meeting was held ahead of an SCO summit to be held in Bishkek in August. The same month, member states are to hold joint anti terror exercises in Russia's Chelyabinsk region.

Copyright (c) 2006. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org

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Posted June 27th, 2007 by Dinka