‘Peace Mission 2012’ drill starts in Tajikistan

The "Peace Mission 2012" joint anti-terrorism military exercise of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) officially started in the city of Khujand, Tajikistan, on the afternoon of June 7, 2012, local time.

General Chen Bingde, member of the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the People's Republic of China and chief of general staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), General Zhasuzakov Saken Adilkhanovich, chairman of Chief of Staff Committee of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Colonel Subhankulov, chief of general staff of the Armed Forces of Kyrgyz Republic, General Aleksandr Postnikov, deputy chief of general staff of the Russian Armed Forces, and Lieutenant General Naderrov, chief of general staff of Tajikistani Armed Forces, held the strategic consultation and jointly signed and issued the battle instructions for the exercise.

Later, the military leaders of all the participating countries held a press conference and unanimously agreed that the "Peace Mission 2012" joint anti-terrorism military exercise has demonstrated the will, determination and capability of the militaries of the SCO member states to jointly fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism.

This exercise is the 9th joint military exercise held under the SCO framework, which was the second routine multilateral joint exercise held after the heads of the six SCO member countries decided in August 2007 to regularly hold moderate-scale joint exercises every 2-3 years. These exercises bear important significance in promoting the established mechanism of joint exercises under the SCO framework, deterring and striking the "three evil forces" (terrorism, separatism and extremism) and maintaining regional security and stability.