Defense ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states signed on Thursday a cooperation plan for the period 2012-2013, Kazakh Defense Minister Adilbek Dzhaksybekov said.
The document was signed during a meeting in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, which has held the SCO rotating chair since summer 2010.
"Defense ministers of the SCO member states held a session discussing key issues concerning international and regional security and signed a communique and a cooperation plan for 2012-2013," Dzhaksybekov said.
"We are convinced that the close cooperation will help us to strengthen security and stability in the region and in the world," the minister added.
The SCO, created mainly to address regional security concerns, marks its 10th anniversary this June. The organization comprises China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, while Iran, India, Mongolia and Pakistan hold observer status.
ASTANA, March 17 (RIA Novosti)
