ASTANA: The meeting of the ministers of defense of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) started in Astana on Friday. The meeting is held as part of Kazakhstan’s presidency in the SCO. Those attending the meeting are the defense ministers of Pakistan, Iraq, China, Kyrgyzstan, India, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
Besides, SCO Secretary General, Director of the SCO RATS Executive Committee and Belarusian Minister of Defense were also invited to the event. The meeting agenda is to review the regional security issues, including the defence cooperation initiatives, within the SCO.
Shanghai Cooperation Organization
The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of China, Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. Pakistan and India became its permanent members in 2017.
In July 2023, Iran became the new permanent member of the group at an India-hosted virtual summit of the grouping.
