India, China, Pakistan, other SCO members to hold joint anti-terrorism exercise in 2019

India, China, Pakistan, other SCO members to hold joint anti-terrorism exercise in 2019

1. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s(SCO) member states will hold a joint anti-terrorism exercise “Sary-Arka-Antiterror 2019”.The joint-military exercise will take place in Kazakhstan’s Sary Arka region.
2. The decision to hold a joint exercise was announced during the 34th meeting of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure(RATS) council held in Tashkent,Uzbekistan.The meeting was chaired by Russia.It has also declared plans to hold the first stage of joint border operation “Solidarity 2019-2021”.
3. The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) is a permanent organ of the SCO.It serves to promote cooperation of member states against (a)terrorism (b)separatism and (c)extremism.The head of RATS is elected to a three-year term.Each member state also sends a permanent representative to RATS.Its headquartered in Tashkent,Uzbekistan.
4. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation,also known as the Shanghai Pact,is a Eurasian political,economic,and military organisation.It was founded in 2001 by the leaders of China,Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan,Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
5. Apart from Uzbekistan,the other five countries have been a part of the Shanghai 5 since 1996.The cooperation was renamed to Shanghai Cooperation Organisation after Uzbekistan joined the organisation in 2001.India and Pakistan joined SCO as full members in 2017.
6. The SCO’s main goals are:(a)strengthening mutual trust and neighbourliness among the member states (b)promoting their effective cooperation in politics,trade,economy,research,technology and culture, as well as in education,energy,transport,tourism,environmental protection,and other areas (c)making joint efforts to maintain and ensure peace, security and stability in the region and (d)moving towards the establishment of a democratic,fair and rational new international political and economic order.