BEIJING (Sputnik) — Thursday's military parade in Beijing, marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, is a sign of unity in the face of modern security threats, Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Dmitry Mezentsev told Sputnik.
"It is important to note that the celebrations in Beijing today are somewhat of a continuation of those in the Russian capital on May 9 this year. Today, on China's main Tiananmen Square, troops from the Chinese People's Liberation Army, the SCO, and other countries that participated in World War II marched together," Mezentsev said.
He noted that the parade serves as a special sign, showing that modern threats, such as terrorism, extremism and separatism, can be tackled through dialogue and international cooperation.
"The special interaction shown by Russian and Chinese leaders is an example for many other countries. Based on unity in the framework of a trustful strategic partnership and friendship, and special relations between millions of people in our country, we can build a foundation for the future. And then, the evil of terrorism will be defeated, as fascism was 70 years ago," Mezentsev added.
The honorary closing position in the Thursday parade was granted to three Russian units, representing the Ground Forces, Air Force and Navy of the Russian Federation.
Leaders and high-ranking officials from almost 50 countries, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, attended the celebrations.
The SCO is a political, economic and military organization which was founded in Shanghai in 2001 by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
